The league media and the rabid fan base always need a man to vilify. Last offseason and prior, that “villain” was surely James Harden. ‘The Beard’ has never been one to shy away from such narratives. He rather uses it in his game to fuel himself.  Now, with the LA Clipper’s outstanding performance this season, Harden has turned the narrative around in his favor. Still, critics remain harsh on the former MVP, and that was the case on the latest “No Chill Gill” episode, but Gilbert Arenas took a stand.

The former Warriors star had Harden’s back amid accusations of him being “selfish” and set the record straight. “That’s the problem, James Harden did show up when they [Philadelphia 76ers] needed him most. See that’s what this argument is about, that’s what the fight is about, he showed up when they needed him,” said Gil.

He explained himself to the hateful Philly fan, “You need me to take a pay cut for the betterment of the team. I showed up for that, you were supposed to show up for getting me in the backend. You didn’t have a stipulation that says, ‘Alright, I’mma you take a pay cut, I’mma pay you the max in the backend but you gotta be averaging this this this.'” Arenas’ point reflects the fact that Harden took a $15 Million pay cut in 2022 to save the Philadelphia 76ers when they needed him the most, leading them to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

In return, Daryl Morrey and the front office didn’t oblige him back by offering him a Max Contract. However, Harden didn’t back down from it he used the hate from fans to turn it into an opportunity.

James Harden turns hate into publicity gold with Addidas

Recently ‘The Beard’, took the Villian in use to promote a campaign with Addidas, who he signed with while still in the Houston Rockets. In their most recent post on X, they shared a video of Harden promoting the brand with the caption, “Who’s really the villain?”

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No matter one’s opinion on Harden, this business strategy works as pure retribution for him considering the amount of hate he has received for his Philly exit. Especially when Harden chose to forego his $47.4 million player option to rejoin the franchise under a new contract, aiming to provide the team with financial flexibility to strengthen the roster for a championship pursuit in 2023.  Do you think James Harden is the Villian? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.