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Grizzlies Announcers Were in Awe of How Bad James Harden Was During Brutal Sequence

This was a tough look for James Harden.

Kevin Sweeney

Grizzlies Announcers Were in Awe of How Bad James Harden Was During Brutal Sequence
Grizzlies Announcers Were in Awe of How Bad James Harden Was During Brutal Sequence /
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James Harden’s tenure with the Los Angeles Clippers is off to a rough start… so much so that even opposing broadcasters are getting in on the fun.

Harden posted just 11 points on 12 shots and three assists in a 105–101 loss to the Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon. One sequence really summed up his poor play, though. In the first quarter, Harden went into isolation mode, wiping off the soles of his shoes before attempting a half-hearted stepback three that missed everything. 

LA Clippers guard James Harden and Clippers forward Paul George react during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
LA Clippers guard James Harden and Clippers forward Paul George react during the second half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Harden then got the ball back after PJ Tucker snatched the offensive rebound, drove past Desmond Bane and had his floater easily rejected by Bismack Biyombo. 

That elicited quite the reaction from the Grizzlies broadcast team, which seemed to enjoy Harden’s struggles.

Of course, Harden is a fairly easy target at the moment, particularly after his “I am the system” comments following his acquisition by the Clippers. It doesn’t help that the Clippers are now 0–4 with Harden suiting up for the team, and he has topped 15 points just once. Naturally, that has meant plenty of jokes from fans trolling the embattled star.

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Kevin Sweeney
KEVIN SWEENEY

Kevin Sweeney is a staff writer at Sports Illustrated covering college basketball and the NBA draft. He joined the SI staff in July 2021 and also serves host and analyst for The Field of 68. Sweeney is a Naismith Trophy voter and ia member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

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