Call The Whambulance: James Harden Upset About NBA Officiating

James Harden, who travels more than a circus, has a problem with NBA officiating. The Nets star thinks officials aren't as consistent as they once were, and rather than adjust his play, he's decided to whine about it all instead.

"It's the same calls the guys are getting. Obviously, you can't call all of them," Harden said following Sunday's loss to Minnesota. "But there's ones where there's clearly stiff-arms and trips and things like that. But on the other end, there's no consistency. So it's frustrating."

Boo-hoo.








There's no question, Harden is one of the best in the game. But he has also benefited from phantom calls and star treatment throughout his career. Now that league officials have made a concerted effort not to blow the whistle on non-basketball moves, Harden isn't getting quite as many calls as he used to.

The perceived no calls also struck a chord with Brooklyn coach Steve Nash, who's driving Harden's Whambulance all the way to the office of complaints.

"I think it's been well-documented that he's one of the poster childs," Nash said Sunday. "I think the start of the year was rough. were really trying to correct the point of emphasis. I think they overcorrected. Now we come back to the middle, but tonight was one of those nights where I felt like some of the calls that should go his way didn't."

Harden, by the way, currently averages the third-most free throw attempts per game in the league (8.1), trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo (10.8) and Joel Embiid (10.6).

Maybe he should just take his ball and go home.

 












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Anthony is a former high school basketball intramural champion who played a leading role in creating two offspring. He spends his weekends hoping for an MTV Rock N' Jock revival. Follow him on X (@OhioAF).