The Brutal Decline of James Harden 

I love the running gag where you flash Pat Bev with the camera every time someone says "look."

Part of the problem with Harden is not only has he declined, but no one is going to want to give up assets for a guy who will demand a trade after just a year. He's shot himself in the foot.

All my people who watched 2010s basketball, we are now seeing the decline of former stars. It's like watching T-Mac on the Hawks

Ever noticed the decline when that rule change happened?

I have never in my time of watching basketball, seen a proclaimed "star" shrink as consistently as Harden in the biggest moments... Its almost impressive

Real ones know, Dwight Howard performed better every single time in the playoffs than James Harden

The issue with Harden is that he’s literally asked out of 3 different teams in the past 2 calendar years, and has not played well in the playoffs, literally every year he’s disappointed overall. So yeah teams aren’t as willing to go for him anymore

I think it’s also the fact that the nba had the rule change where he can’t really draw fouls no more

At the end of his Houston days, he looked like this guy I see at Penn Station who panhandles all day.

I dont think it's totally fair to say that Harden has "brutally declined". He is still playing at a high level (many would say that he could've been an all star last season). He averaged 21 points and LED THE LEAGUE in assists per game (10.7). I think no one wants him because he still thinks he deserves a 40M+ contract. Every team would take him for a lower price, especially cuz of his age.

Two things that led to James Harden decline was the rule change which didn't allow him to draw 10+ fouls a game, and when he gained a lot of weight during COVID-19 when he got to Brooklyn he wasn't explosive to the rim and moved slow on the court.

The point is, no one is an anomaly to such a degree that Harden thought he was. He got away with his lifestyle for several years, but once he sustained a real injury that required him to take care of himself, rehab well, and put the hours in to getting his game back to where it used to be, he hasn't been able to do it. If that's how you're gonna be, then fine, have your fun. But you can't also expect for every team to still be foaming at the mouth for you when you don't play well and will demand a trade as soon as things don't pan out

Harden is an example of no matter how much talent you have, if you’re not mentally strong you’ll never be a winner.

This video actually made me teary eyed because it means the 2010’s era is coming to a curtain call.

What made James Harden.... The flop for the foul line

Coffee ✅ Blunt ✅ Great content to watch ✅

its because the rule changes for fouling..he lived off forcing fouls (which is offensive foul now) and his signature travel stepback is called a travel in game now

the decline was associated with the league evolving and changing the rules against bs foul calls and flops, as well as his own mental fortitude during tough times, or lack thereof.

You guys are gonna be a big basketball channel someday the consistent uploading and the overall content is great

An elite guy known for his poor conditioning and preferential treatment is declining quickly approaching his mid-30s? Shocking.

Whens the Dame with the Blazers Retrospective?

You can't party like he did and play well deep into your career. His lack of decline relative to how much he enjoys his free time is actually impressive. He's not who he was or who he thinks he is anymore but he's still a decent player

Harden averaged 28/7/10, 2 steals, 1 block in 50/40/90 efficiency vs Boston and these mfs said he played "alright" in that Series 😂😂😂😂😂

Already know this is gonna be a banger

I was waiting for a video about this. Lol well done gentlemen.

Perfect timing! I was just like "Man. When are these guys going to upload again?!"

yeah i think that hamstring injury killed him, he lost part of his burst and speed

James harden is just not a winner. Coming from a sixers fan, he needs to leave

Been watching yalls channel religiously while I take care of my 2 month old during night feedings. The quality of your content is insane and hella entertaining

The issue with harden is he relies on free throws and flops to score. When the league implemented anti-flopping rules, he declined, almost 50% of his score comes from the ft line.

Man watching warriors vs rockets from the 2015 season was crazy

Its the foul rule change and fitness. Not to mention he’s easy to predict in the playoffs and cant close important games. Kobe called this a while ago

Slight rule changes and being out of Mike D'antoni system helped the decline. People don't give enough credit to Mike D'antoni when players have their best offensive seasons. Hell he helped make Jeremy Lin look like Iverson for a month.

Harden was never that great to begin with. His patented move is a travel and in the playoffs his free throw antics don't work. His play style is also horrible to watch.

It wasn’t a surprise we saw same happen to Westbrook, harden is only a year younger. He relies on calls which doesn’t work in playoffs.

it’s funny this video is 13 minutes long lol

Never was sold on Harden. His was a prolific scorer because the rules allowed him to be...always fishing for the fouls and living on the free throw line. After the league tightened that up, he couldn't rely on that tactic.

Idk I always thought harden was a regular season stat padder. Usually turned into Casper the friendly ghost during the playoffs

Do you guys plan to do NFL content in the future? That would be amazing.

Man, it’s just sad. I know a lot of people have already said this, but if CP3 hadn’t got injured at the end of Game 5 of the 2018 WCF, Harden would have had a ring. At the very least, seeing his decline would have been less depressing.

All of Harden teammates either got hurt or declined playing with him. His first time with a real team he got hurt

I feel like since they changed the fouling rules Harden's playstyle just doesn't work.

I think his scoring production fell off when they stop giving him all those fouls from the flopping he would do every possession.

Hardens problem, same as so many other athletes is his attitude.

What I don't understand is how he could have regressed so much when his playstyle has always been more technical and less focus on athleticism like Westbrook.

I have been critical of harden but he was the only reason they even had a chance against the Celtics. Embiid was awful all series, harden at least won them some games

At this time, James Harden should consider reuniting with Fergie and the other two dudes and record another Black EyE Peas album.

I can’t remember bro is that intro song from CoD or UFC 4?

Great video, always thought Harden was a beast when he started at OKC, but for real the guy just does not have the consistency or the playoff capability to be a top level guy anymore, and that's a shame. Also, on a side note, I caught that remix of Roman's theme in the end card scene. In this house we put em up ☝

NBA changed the way fouls were called and Harden became slower as well.

Kyrie was smart not to take the myocarditis vaccine just like the SEAL operators rejected them.

Harden fans love to ignore the rule change 😂😂😂

Cmon dude has been the problem for years. The ultimate stat padder who falls off when it matters the most. Every time he's carried a team early in a playoff series he's immediately blown the next game.

Ever since that rule change He bounced around between the rockets nets and Sixers His production declined He should just retire from the league at this point.

If you have historic production and no ring to show for it, either your team really really suck, or you're stat chasing first, winning second. And his disparaging remark at his own team in houston lead me to believe that his ego is so big that he could get away with it.

THE SHOW IS ON BABY!

The dude never adjusted to the rule changes he brought or increased his effort to make up for it, he just continues to toss the ball away and throw his arms up expecting a whistle like he always has instead of actually trying to play ball, meanwhile next season he's gonna be catching whistles left and right for his bullshit, mans did it to himself and gets zero sympathy from me.

it's sad because you'd think he'd have aged gracefully with that jumper and passing ability. To be fair, he's still performing. He's just struggling with the same things he's always struggled with just more slowly.' He can't play off his teammates, is flaky when it matters and quits on his team instead of being the change that his team needs. Sad, man I was looking forward to seeing the kyle anderson slow mo style harden I was expecting.

Dude literally led the league in assists and was a 20 point scorer and people call him washed. Thats why your average fan is a casual.

What happened to him he done it to himself. Trying to get out of the Rockets uniform. He put a hold on his training . So when he got traded and played without training he got injured . So with hamstring that will stop training all together. That put all his game in a decline . With his age it will be hard to comeback from where he was .

Harden a 3rd option in the regular season and a 6th man in the playoffs at best rn. Emiid is also a 2nd option on a championship team so this duo will never workout

Harden was never going anywhere for long. Playoffs require defense and leadership: he has neither.

I like the Hotline Miami intro...

Remember when they change the rules about fouls so he can’t get to the line like how he used to so he’s kind of easier to guard

well... not to sing my own praises.. but I said from the very start that The Beard might find the market for his services a lot smaller than it used to be... and the "decline" of his play, or rather the change in perception of his play, is not even the main reason here.. it's everything else.. especially Harden setting the price for his services at $35m not subject to negotiation, for one year and unrestricted Free Agency after that.. that's pretty steep.. not to mention, the Sixers probably would like something in return.. and given his antics over the past few seasons, including the his pattern of messier and messier exits from organizations, that's not the most enticing proposition.. he could have just let the market come to him in Free Agency and choose the most suitable offer.. but no.. instead he exercized hie $35m option, walked into the Front Office and said: "I don't have any intention to play for you.. find me a trade.. I'll be at the stripclub.." I'm not gonna lie, he looks like a bit of a c*nt there.. and may have put the Sixers' Front Office in an impossible situation.. because as it turns out, there's no interest right now.. so they're stuck with his $35m, no starting second option and no cap space to try and replace him.. makes you wonder why there's so much relutance to bring him into any other organization, indeed...

When he said peek Kobe? 5/24 21pts Kobe or 40games straight no ring Kobe out in first round? Orr HOF coach, executive and perennial All-stars Kobe??

His decline was simple and obvious; he feels entitled to win but doesn't do what's required to do so. When have you heard of his being a good teammate? He tries to carry teams that don't need to be carried and stunts everyone on the team in the process. He exhausts himself every season by not trusting anyone else on the team

Atp Harden is who he is. A former Mvp and future hall of famer that folds in the playoffs. This is the same guy thst went out to strip clubs after playoff losses.

Ngl, I feels like all nba star players are declining nowadays. D-rose declined, Carmelo declined, d-wade declined, Ben “can’t shoot” Simmons is definitely not the same player he once was. Everyone thought Ben was the one and all had to eat every last word. Seems like KD is on the same path.

Imagine if these current stars had a work ethic

Its the fucking cornrows😭 I swear shit went downhill from there (Houstonian)

Bro is out here looking like the modern day Latrell Spreewell. He better smarten up and realize his worth before no team decides to pick him up. And whoever picks him better have a solid number one and two option knowing that this guy won’t show up in the playoffs

I don’t know if he’s the most hated player in history. Anyone ever hear of a guy named Bill Laimbeer??

Say what you will about Harden but had Sam Presti (GM for the OKC Thunder) not foolishly trade him away he would have won 3 and maybe even more championships. That Thunder team was the most talented team in history. There has NEVER been a team with 3 MVP level players on it. NEVER and there never will be again. I don't know what the hell Presti was thinking but it will go down as arguably the stupidest decision in the history of pro sports.

Morey does not love him anymore.

11:40 LOL then he went to the clippers. We saw how that went. The playoffs went exactly as much everything described in this prescient video described. I think he was getting paid $35m a year to score like 17 pts in the playoffs lol

James Harden messed up his hamstrung during the playoffs numerous times is the main reason to his decline

Im sorry but this James harden hate is just going to far. In his Houston years people criticized him for his lack of team play and his heavily relying on isolation play - that he was the key of the rockets offense while averaging 35+ points in back to back seasons. Now when he changed his play style and swings the rock more while still averaging 20 plus points he is now washed? He was second in assist average the last season and still was able to score. People just apparently hate on him for whatever. Averaging 35 a night is bad, because it's egoistic, but averaging 20 and 10 is now also bad because you don't average 35 anymore. What logic is that? And the title of the video being 'The brutal decline of James Harden' despite his stats showing him be a strong and complete player is just nonsense. If he just doesn't fit into a team does that make him a bad player. NO!

The trend in officiating moving away from calling so many fouls hurt his game.

Now I might sound like an S tier hater but I knew Harden was on the decline was during the 2021 first round during the raptors. I believe after Embiid hit the game winner from 3 in that series, harden posted him with the caption “MVP”. He was also stinking it up consistently during this point and while you can say he was being a good teammate, the harden I knew would never call another man the mvp😭😭

I almost gave up watching nba games entirely all because Hardee's was living off foul calls to becoming NBA75 smh

Roman Reigns fans

This is just sad

Sixers fan here. I've never liked Harden and never wanted him on the team. He did exactly what I thought he'd do which is take us all the way to the playoffs just so we can lose when it mattered most. We were already doing that without him he added absolutely nothing to our team.

Y’all tripping.. if y’all check impact metics, you’d see that James more impactful than a lot of all stars. The real question is why does Joel Embid get off scot-free?

Funny how y’all saying he has declined so much but he’s still one of the best guards in the league lol. Literally can’t name more then 3-4 players better passer

I was w this video until around the 10 minute mark where Philly thought they were getting Houston harden. No they did not😂

U know who screwed him, Stephen a smith cause he trash d’antoni and wanted to get him fired and d’antoni was a big reason y hard was so good

Rule changes is the main Reason for his Decline

His downfall started when he starred in avengers endgame..

James is one of the most talented players ever. But he's got One of the worst attitudes ever to pair with that.

harden shouldnt have played on a bad hamstring it cut his prime

WESTBROOK, would be the next f-in video of that kind?!!!

Harden isn't worth more than,15 M a season. Right now NO team wants him.

his homie gm in 2 teams has tried to help him so much n make him out to be a better scorer than mj and yet they cant win the chip. harden was able to put up higher stats cuz he got given a coach who wanted heavy offence while stat padding with his ridiculous foul flops n baits while hooking is arm as soon as he felt contact. yet always shrunk in the post season. how is harden considered a top shooting guard when he cant make a finals while he has mostly had teams built around him n then kept jumping to other teams?

When half your game is fake a foul .. you are going to suck when you get old 🤣

So baked just watched 12 minutes of this without realizing there’s 2 people talking

Let's not forget, free throws helped a ton.

Inventor of the step back. He’s already solidified himself as one of the most crafty, high IQ players in NBA history.

Jamal Murray to the sixers and Harden teams up with Jokic 😂