James Harden’s Career Might Be Over if We Believe Scary Anecdote From 19 Year NBA Veteran Shaquille O’Neal

It is no secret James Harden is having a hard time on the court. Without Joel Embiid, Harden was supposed to be the leader of the Philadelphia 76ers. But it turned out to be no less than a nightmare for him as he just scored 16 and 20 points respectively for his team in the two playoff semi-final matches against the Miami Heat. This includes just two points in the second half of the first game. The second game was no different for him.

According to NBA legend, Shaquille O’Neal on his podcast, it may be due to his age. “Big Shaq” said, “When I was around that age, I woke up one day and it was all gone. All of it.” These are some serious warning signs for Harden.

James Harden and Shaq: A comparison

So, is Harden comparable to Shaq? We have to look at Shaq’s career post that age and compare him to Harden.

On the court, Shaq will certainly go down as one of the greatest players of all time and will forever be remembered as one of the biggest, most intimidating big men in history. However, after his public and bitter fallout with Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq bounced around the league for the rest of his career, first traveling to Miami in 2004 (where he won a ring with Dwyane Wade and the Heat in 2006), then Phoenix in 2008, Cleveland in 2009 and finally Boston in 2010, where he played his 19th and final season.

Read More: Draymond Green, Who Was Suspended in the 2016 NBA Finals vs LeBron James’ Cavs, Reacts to Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks’ Suspension for Game 3

During this time, Shaq’s production slowly declined, as age and injuries caught up with him. No longer could Shaq completely dominate opponents in the paint and score or rebound like he used to.

Following his trade to Cleveland in 2009, Shaq appeared old. His minutes and production declined drastically, and he continued to battle injuries. He was a shell of his former self.

His arrival in Boston would only add insult to even more injury. Shaq only played 37 games for the Celtics and averaged an appalling 9.2 PPG and 4.8 RPG. He only managed 20 minutes per game for much of the season, and he was completely ineffective in the playoffs.

Watch this story:  How Much of Liverpool Does LeBron James Own?

Harden still has good numbers despite his supposed decline in form. But nonetheless, is Shaq telling the truth? You think and tell us.