James Harden responds to those upset about how often he shoots free throws
James Harden is hitting critics of his play style with the “sorry, not sorry.”
Speaking Wednesday with NBA on TNT reporter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude, the Houston Rockets star responded to those upset about how often he gets to the free throw line. Harden’s retort was simply to tell opponents to stop fouling.
I just asked James Harden what he says to people who are mad that he gets to the freethrow line so much. He said, dead serious, “Stop fouling. It’s simple”. #Rockets
— Rosalyn Gold-Onwude (@ROSGO21) January 2, 2019
The six-time All-Star Harden looks like a strong candidate to win his second straight MVP this season. He is averaging a career-best 33.3 points per game (tops in the NBA) to go along with 5.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists. But Harden, who is also at a career-high 11.1 free throw attempts per game in 2018-19, is regularly attacked for his seemingly relentless foul-baiting, which detractors say is a cheap strategy that negatively affects his watchability as a superstar.
True, Harden may have a point in saying that opponents should do a better job of defending without fouling. But plays like this illustrate how impossible it can be to avoid because he has gotten so good at hunting for the whistle.
