James Harden was held to just nine points in the 76ers‘ Game 7 loss against Celtics on Sunday, failed to register double-digit points for the second time this postseason.
His lackluster performance drew brief heat from Stephen A. Smith, who held nothing back when he robbed Philadelphia’s star guard.
After the Sixers’ playoff exit, Smith paid tribute to Harden, imploring the 33-year-old to shave his beard to better hide his identity.
“James Harden is so bad, so bad, he really has to shave his beard to hide his identity. That’s how bad he is. Really bad. I say that in all seriousness. I’m not kidding. I work in Philadelphia for 17 years … he’s going to have a hard time walking the streets. You don’t do what you saw him do on Sunday afternoon in a Game 7,” SAYS Smith during SportsCenter on Sunday night.
"James Harden is so bad, so bad, he really needs to shave his beard to hide his identity. That’s how bad he is. It’s really bad. I say that in all seriousness."
— Stephen A. Smithpic.twitter.com/3YX7TfDiJs
– ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) May 15, 2023
“This performance right here pissed off a lot of people about James Harden,” Smith added.
Harden registered a -30 plus-minus during Sunday’s loss. His nine points were the fewest among Sixers starters, as he shot just 3-of-11 from the field and went 1-for-5 from three-point range.
His performance earned him a lot of criticism after a disappointing end to the season in Philadelphia, and Smith was certainly one of the loudest of his detractors with his fiery rant.