James Harden makes ridiculous claim at 76ers media day

Feb 25, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
James Harden has definitely mastered the art of hyperbole.
The former MVP guard Harden went viral for a ridiculous claim he made at Philadelphia 76ers media day on Monday. Harden was asked how much weight he had lost during the offseason and replied that he had lost 100 pounds. When pressed to give a more serious answer, Harden reiterated, “100 pounds. Tweet that.”
James Harden was asked how much weight he lost over the summer and joked a hundred pounds. He was then asked a second time for a more serious answer, and said "100 pounds. Tweet that."
So I did.
— Derek Bodner (@DerekBodnerNBA) September 26, 2022
Harden, who has received criticism in recent years for his hefty frame, is officially listed at 220 pounds. Unless he was playing at well over a sumo-esque 300 last season, it is safe to say that Harden was exaggerating here.
Still, there may be some kernel of truth in Harden’s claim of weight loss. The 33-year-old did look extremely slim in some gym pictures from last month, so the 76ers can probably look forward to the return of Fit Harden this year.