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Forward of Recreation 5 of the NBA Finals, basketball legend James Harden is making headlines for causes that don’t have anything to do with sports activities.
The NBA icon — whose Cleveland Cavs had been beforehand knocked out of the playoffs by the ascendant New York Knicks — was arrested early Saturday morning in Houston after police found a handgun in his automobile throughout a site visitors cease.
In accordance with courtroom data obtained by TMZ, Harden was driving a Mercedes via downtown Houston at roughly 3:40 AM when officers stopped the automobile.
In the course of the encounter, police allegedly noticed a handgun sitting within the cup holder of the automobile. Harden reportedly acknowledged that the weapon belonged to him.
The 36-year-old was subsequently arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail on a misdemeanor cost associated to illegal carrying of a weapon.
He was later launched on bond and is scheduled to seem in courtroom on June 22.
At this level, few extra particulars have been launched relating to the incident, and Harden has not publicly commented on the arrest.
The authorized bother comes throughout what has already been an eventful 12 months for the previous NBA MVP.
Harden spent the latter portion of the 2025-26 season with the Cavs after being acquired in a February commerce.
The veteran level guard averaged 20.5 factors and seven.7 assists in 26 video games with Cleveland and helped lead the group to the Japanese Convention Finals.
Some of the achieved gamers of his technology, Harden has earned a number of scoring titles, 11 All-Star choices, and the 2017-18 NBA MVP award throughout a profession that has spanned greater than 17 seasons.
Now, nevertheless, consideration has shifted away from his future on the courtroom and towards the authorized proceedings forward.
We can have additional updates on this growing story as new info turns into out there.