James Harden is one of, if not the most, disliked players in the league. His ‘flopping’ to get free throws has been one of the main reasons for this dislike. Since he arrived in Houston, Harden has led the league in free throws attempted in seven out of eight seasons. But apart from free throws, Harden is still an unbelievable scorer. This has earned the praise of his colleague Kemba Walker.

The Boston Celtics star made an appearance on the R2C2 podcast hosted by CC Sabathia and Ryan Ruocco. When asked who would he like to watch live, he immediately mentioned Harden.

James Harden dubbed a walking bucket

Later Walker was asked what he feels about Harden not being appreciated enough.

“I’m pretty sure that James Harden can care less about what they think about him,” Walker said. “It doesn’t matter. He is an unbelievable talent. The way he scored the basketball is second to none. It’s unreal the shots he makes. You can tell he works on those shots. You would literally see his hand go over the contest, and he still makes it.”

Walker said that such ease to score is only seen on video games and it’s unbelievable how Harden does it. “He gets double teamed as soon as he steps across half court. It’s unreal. It’s like you play on 2K on easy mode. He’s a walking bucket.”

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Harden is living up to this nickname, as he is now on his way to win a third scoring title in three years. He has also had a good campaign in the bubble so far. The Rockets have won three out of their four games, with Harden averaging 33.8 points and nine assists per game while shooting 52% from the field.

His inability to replicate his regular-season form in the playoffs is another reason he gets criticized. He will be keen on silencing his haters as he tries to get Houston a first title in 25 years.

The Rockets now play tomorrow in a relatively easy encounter against the Sacramento Kings. They will be looking forward to winning and building on momentum before entering the playoffs.

Sources:

Kemba Walker on the NBA Bubble and Nearly Signing with the Knicks | R2C2 | The Ringer

NBA Player free-throws Stats

James Harden on Basketball Reference