Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden believes he is the poster for the new NBA rule change this season.
The 32-year-old is a nine-time All-Star and was MVP in 2018, but he’s struggled so far in the current campaign. His team were beaten 111-95 by the Hornets recently, and he was asked if he felt like he was a ‘poster boy’ for the new rules that came into force this season.
“For sure,” he is reported by CBS as replying. “It’s still basketball at the end of the day. No matter how much of a big deal we try to make it a foul is a foul. It’s pretty simple.”
During the offseason, the NBA introduced new rules to limit the number of foul calls during a game. Referees were steered towards not calling for fouls on non-basketball moves, such as when an offensive player jumps into a defensive player at an abnormal angle or hook a defender using an arm. It was a popular decision as it aimed to improve the game’s flow and deliver a better spectacle, with defenders no longer at an apparent disadvantage. Sadly, Harden and his coach, Steve Nash, have not been happy with the outcome.
“I feel like he’s (Harden) unfairly become the poster boy of not calling these fouls,” said Nash. “Some of them could definitely be fouls still but they’re so alert and aware and he’s the poster child of these new decisions. I get it, there’s a line, but some of them are still fouls. He’s just gotta stick with it.”
Harden, clearly displeased with the number of times he’s being fouled and it is not called, was still in an accepting mood, admitting he will have to change his game to adapt to the changes.
“I’m not the type to complain about it,” he added. “I ask every official if they see a foul just call a foul. Sometimes I feel like coming into a game, it’s already predetermined, or I already have the stigma of getting fouls calls. I just ask for officials to call what they see. I can’t stop playing basketball. A foul is a foul, no matter what league it is. But it’s bigger than that. I gotta just keep playing. I gotta play better, obviously. That’s it.”
As for Nash and the Nets, they’ll be hoping he finds a way around the rule changes and goes from being the NBA’s poster boy to theirs. Their defeat against the Hornets left them tenth after three games in the Eastern Conference, although they are still favorites with Bwin to win the division and the NBA title. However, if the new rules hamper them, it could open the door for early pacesetters such as Chicago Bulls or the Hornets.
Harden is widely regarded as the best shooting guard in the NBA and is one of basketball’s most prolific scorers. He has previously played for Oklahoma Thunder and Houston Rockets and is a three-time NBA scoring champion in 2018, 2019 and 2020. He also took a gold medal home from London in 2012 as part of Team USA’s victorious basketball squad.