James Harden, who might be a future Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the best guards in the NBA’s history, seamlessly responded to a fan in the audience during his appearance at Fanatics Fest in New York City.
Harden had his typical All-Star, All-NBA year for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 22.8 points per game and 8.7 assists. However, the one consistent stick used to beat him with is his pronounced problems in the NBA playoffs.
Case in point: In the Clippers’ Game 7 loss against the Denver Nuggets in the NBA playoffs this year, he scored just seven points on 2-for-8 shooting with a minus-29 on the court.
For Harden, this is not unfamiliar territory in the playoffs. He is still looking to overcome that hump as Harden turns 36 in August.
James Harden’s Reaction To A Fan Asking For A Championship During Fantatics Fest Appearance And Player Option Decision Looming
During Harden’s live interview at Fanatics Fest, a fan shouted from the audience, “Win a championship!” amid audible laughter. Harden responded smoothly and nicely to the fan by saying, “I will, I’m trying!” Handling it with the typical smoothness he exudes on court, Harden took the comment in stride.
Fan: “Win a championship!”
James Harden: “I will, I’m trying!”
💀💀💀 (via @offsportsplace, @FanaticsFest) pic.twitter.com/GAUKhc7S14
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 21, 2025
Harden also appeared as WWE legend Hulk Hogan during Fanatics Fest to engage with fans. This proved to be an opportunity to showcase Harden’s fun side of his personality, sitting next to Hogan, who was decked out in his wrestling attire. Perhaps he’ll have a second nickname from now on like “Hulk Harden” along with his very own “The Beard.”
This is a huge offseason for both the Clippers and Harden. Harden has a player option worth $36.35 million this offseason, which reportedly he’s trending towards opting out of at this time. However, it is believed that Harden and the Clippers will then sit down and re-negotiate a deal in line with what teammate Kawhi Leonard is getting through the 2026-27 season.
Despite struggling in Game 7, Harden still proved that he’s an All-Star caliber player throughout the season. He appears to be very comfortable playing in his native Los Angeles, so it would be a massive surprise if he doesn’t return to the Clippers. Not to mention, there aren’t many teams that could afford him in free agency.
Harden, a former NBA MVP, is 13th all-time in NBA history in assists, a remarkable achievement considering he’s primarily known as a scorer. He’s second all-time in three-pointers made behind Stephen Curry. Furthermore, he’s expected to climb above Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony for the top-10 most points in NBA history, which he’ll likely achieve by next season.
His accomplishments are incredible. But his postseason performances have been criticized for not reaching his own regular-season levels. He hopes to prove his doubters wrong and, in the process, show that his comments from Fanatics Fest will come true next season.