Getty Houston Rockets guard James Harden
Houston Rockets star James Harden may be in midseason form, but it seems the NBA referees need the next week to get mentally prepared. During the Rockets’ preseason game against the Shanghai Sharks, Harden got away with a brutal travel before burying a 3-pointer.
To make matters worse, Harden was so close to the referee he nearly ran into him while traveling. Here’s the video, courtesy of The Action Network’s Rob Perez.
At least the ref looked down to make sure Harden’s jumper came from behind the 3-point line.
Obviously, it’s just the preseason, so there’s no real reason to lose our minds over missed calls like these. But on that same note, it’s not like traveling in the NBA is something called very often, and realistically it’s probably the most ignored penalty in all of basketball.
James Harden’s Strong 2018-19 Outlook
Putting aside the traveling conversation, Harden is coming off an incredible 2018 season in which he won the Most Valuable Player Award. After averaging 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game, there’s no reason to believe he’ll slow down this year.
The Rockets have a bit more competition out in the Western Conference, though, so another big year from Harden will be needed. The defending champion Golden State Warriors added DeMarcus Cousins while the Los Angeles Lakers landed LeBron James.
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