Former NFL player Ryan Clark had some extremely harsh words for James Harden after the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered an embarrassing elimination. Cleveland got swept 4-0 with a chance to make the NBA Finals against the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers are considered to have equal or better talent to the Knicks, but the better team used their chemistry to destroy them.
Clark shared the following thoughts about why he holds little respect for Harden:
“The difference between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks was that one superstar lives in delusion and the other lives in reality. James Harden is like a mirage. You think it’s there, but when you need it most, when you’re as thirsty as possible, it’s not. That’s exactly who he’s been in the playoffs.
You hear James Harden saying, we are the better team, even after getting blown out and barely competing. The other superstar on your team is trying to light a fire under everybody, and you do nothing. You were being carried. You got traded from Houston to Los Angeles to Brooklyn to the Clippers and now the Cavaliers. Everybody keeps expecting James Harden to be something he’s not.”
Clark unloaded his unfiltered thoughts about why he puts more blame on Harden than Donovan Mitchell or Evan Mobley. The other Cavaliers stars at least tried to fight at the end, but Harden added yet another failure to his all-time horrendous playoff legacy.
Is James Harden The Biggest Playoff Underperformer Ever?
The question of this topic goes back to just how bad Harden is in the playoffs on a historical level. Most players who win an MVP award or even contend for one will typically have many great playoff moments associated with their reputation as part of the superstar expectations.
Harden is the opposite with negative moments coming for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, and now with the Cleveland Cavaliers. No elite player has had as many high-profile bad games as Harden.
Joel Embiid and Karl Malone are the only two names who could be argued and both have things working in their favor. Malone made two NBA Finals as the best player, and Embiid has only had two healthy playoff runs.
Why Ryan Clark Is So Angry At Harden
Harden was insulted over by Clark during his rant about the Cavaliers’ season ending in gutless fashion. A comment from Harden after the game saw him claiming that he still believes Cleveland is the better team.
Clark felt that was among the worst moments of a star sharing thoughts after a playoff elimination. The comment made Clark view Harden as not understanding what it takes to win and somewhat diminishing what the Knicks accomplished.
Harden somehow has more objectively bad playoff games than names like LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant combined. While those names are better players, they’ve also played more postseason games than Harden and that number goes even higher combined. Harden is the worst playoff performer of his era and will see it tied to his legacy forever.
Former NFL Player Brutally Insults “Delusional” James Harden