In the world of sports commentary, athletes from various sports often opine on the day’s top stories. Last night, the New York Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals, advancing to the NBA Finals. James Harden gave a postgame conference interview, and a former NFL MVP didn’t like the Cavs star’s comments.
Boomer Esiason Chastises James Harden Over Postgame Comments
In front of a home crowd, the Knicks eliminated Cleveland, completing the four-game sweep.
In the postgame, Harden, who struggled all series, stepped to the microphone. He mentioned how he thought the Cavs were the better team, even though they did not win a game. Esaison, who is now a morning talk show host, chided the NBA veteran for his comments.
“Is he on drugs? You guys just got your a**es handed to you,” Esiason said.
Boomer RIPPED James Harden for saying that he felt the Cavaliers are the better team than the Knicks: pic.twitter.com/4W5xr8R5T8
— WFAN Sports Radio (@WFAN660) May 26, 2026
The Knicks outscored the Cavaliers by an average of 118.8 to 99.5 in the series. In the series clincher, the Cavaliers lost by 37. In the first game, the Knicks overcame a 22-point lead in the second half to win. Meanwhile, Harden, an 11-time All-Star, struggled once again.
In four games, the 17-year veteran averaged 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, and three assists. By contrast, his season totals with the Cavaliers were 20.5 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds. More importantly, Harden shot 38.9% from the field, down from his season average of 46.6%.
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, with Harden defending him early in the series, took full advantage of his defensive deficiencies. In the process, the much smaller guard scored 57 points in the first two games.
Esaison’s comments come on the heels of Cavs’ head coach Kenny Atkinson’s statements earlier in the series, which resonated along the same lines. While facing a 0-3 deficit, Atkinson used his interpretation of advanced metrics to turn the narrative in his direction.
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“Analytically, we are two out of three in the expected [score]. We’ve won two out of the three. If you believe in process and all that, take that layer,” boasted Atkinson, possibly in a way to motivate his team. At 6:37 of the first quarter, an Evan Mobley dunk gave the Cavaliers their last lead of the game, which lasted 63 seconds. From there, the Knicks took over.
The Knicks will wait for the Western Conference finals to end, with either the San Antonio Spurs or the Oklahoma City Thunder being their opponent in the NBA Finals. New York seeks their first NBA title since 1973, while Harden has a $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
