When the Los Angeles Clippers brought star point guard James Harden to the team last season in a trade, some speculated that things wouldn’t work out. Harden has developed a reputation over the years as a character who stirs up drama, and it was thought that reputation would carry over to Hollywood.
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But Harden has been a great fit with the Clippers since his arrival, helping them become a force in the Western Conference. He’s slotted in seamlessly alongside Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, creating a solid big three for Los Angeles.
Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images
The former Arizona State Sun Devils player isn’t the same player he once was, but he can still score pretty well. So when his grade in the new NBA The 2K25 video game was revealed, some fans were not happy.
He received an 84 rating, five points lower than he had a year ago. His usage and stats certainly declined, but that was largely due to sharing the court with two other All-Star caliber players.
James Harden’s NBA 2K25 rating has dropped and fans are not happy 👀
His notes over the years:
🔸 2K19-21 – 96 total
🔸 2K22 – 94 total
🔸 2K23-24 – 89 total
🔸 2K25 – 84 totalIs The Beard being disrespectful? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/hWF3JBk79L
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 21, 2024
Last year, he averaged 16.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 8.5 assists per game. He also shot 38.1 percent from three-point range, the third-best three-point percentage of his career.
Harden sat down with KHOU 11 News Houston and was asked about his low ratings for the new video game. The 10-time All-Star appeared to shrug, saying he was ready to prove himself this season.
“No, I don’t… I’ll show them on the field. I don’t really care about my ranking,” he said with a laugh.
I noticed by chance @NBA2K Game fans are upset about @JHarden13 James Harden’s rating in NBA2K25.
I asked him: had he seen or heard of it?
“No, I don’t… I’ll show them on the field. I don’t really care about my ranking,” he said with a laugh. @KHOU pic.twitter.com/ktdxfVU0Xs
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) August 23, 2024
Without Georges If Harden is no longer with the team, his value will increase. His level of responsibility will also increase as he will have to work with teammate Leonard to figure out how to take the Clippers to that next level.
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Los Angeles will have better depth this season, with Harden likely to be the primary playmaker. He has continued to excel at running an offense, putting teammates in different spots to succeed.
For the Clippers to do anything substantial this season, Harden will have to prove he still has All-Star talent. Especially with Leonard’s injury history, Harden could be the biggest X-factor in determining how far the Clippers go this year.
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