Max Kellerman caused a stir by comparing James Harden to President Donald Trump while recapping Game 1 of the Cavs-Knicks series. The former ESPN host has now walked back those comments and apologized to Harden.
Max Kellerman Apologizes To James Harden After Donald Trump Comparison
Kellerman criticized the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this week for their decision to trade away a talented young point guard in Darius Garland for James Harden in their bid to win the NBA Championship. The 52-year-old compared the Cavaliers signing Harden to Trump’s election as US President.
The comments quickly went viral on social media, and Kellerman received criticism for the comparison. On the “Game Over” podcast with Rich Paul, Kellerman apologized to Harden and said he was using “exaggeration” to make his point.
“I shouldn’t have said that because it’s not fair to James Harden. I did not mean to insult him publicly in a way that was going to go viral. It was too severe. I don’t think it’s as bad as all that. When you make an analogy like that, you use hyperbole, you use exaggeration to make your point,” he said.
Max Kellerman apologizes for comparing James Harden to Donald Trump:
“I shouldn’t have said that because it’s not fair to James Harden. I did not mean to insult him publicly in a way that was going to go viral. It was too severe. I don’t think it’s as bad as all that. I don’t… https://t.co/cooq3gCIIP pic.twitter.com/RbNZJfldVE
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) May 22, 2026
Kellerman’s initial comments came after the Cavaliers’ fourth-quarter collapse against the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Cavaliers gave up a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter and went on to lose in overtime. Game 2 also went the Knicks’ way, leaving Cleveland with a 0-2 deficit to overcome as the series heads to Ohio for Games 3 and 4.
Harden, who played 42 minutes in Game 1 and 32 minutes in Game 2, joined the Cavaliers as part of a trade with the Los Angeles Clippers in February. The 6-foot-5 guard has averaged 19.6 points, 5.8 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game during the playoffs.
The 36-year-old struggled in Game 1 against the Knicks, shooting 5-of-16 from the field and just 1-of-8 from the three-point line. He somewhat found his groove in Game 2, scoring 18 points on 6-of-15 shooting. However, it wasn’t enough to stop the Knicks from claiming another decisive victory.
As the series heads to Cleveland, fans will hope Harden can inspire the Cavaliers to bounce back and level the series in the next two games.
