James Harden Had a Strange Reason for Trying to Block Kawhi Leonard’s Shot

This was wild to see from the Los Angeles Clippers star.
James Harden Had a Strange Reason for Trying to Block Kawhi Leonard’s Shot
James Harden Had a Strange Reason for Trying to Block Kawhi Leonard’s Shot /
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The Los Angeles Clippers were able to roll over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, but one odd moment from their victory had everyone on social media wondering what the heck James Harden was trying to do. 

In case you missed it, Harden passed the ball to Kawhi Leonard in the corner during the third quarter and then jumped out to contest his teammate’s shot.

For real. 

Leonard got the shot off but missed on his attempt. This all happened while the Clippers were up 21 points and cruising over the Trail Blazers, but it was just wild to see. 

Check it out: 

After the game Harden explained what he was thinking on that play: 

Uh, O.K. Sure. 

Fans had reactions to Harden’s move: 

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.