LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) talks with referee Dedric Taylor (21) during the first quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden Breaks Silence on Controversial NBA2K25 Rating

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Farbod Esnaashari | Last updated Aug 23, 2024 12:30 PM ET

James Harden may not be the MVP-caliber player that he once was, but he's still an All-Star-level player. However, the creators of NBA2K certainly didn't think so when they gave him a rating of 84 in NBA2K25.

Harden's low 2K25 rating became a major topic of conversation online during the offseason. To put it into perspective, Harden is ranked only one point higher than Tyler Herro and Kyle Kuzma; he's ranked one point lower than Rudy Gobert and Bradley Beal.

While many NBA fans believe that Harden has been disrespected with his rating, the bearded one himself hasn't said anything - until now.

Jason Bristol of KHOU 11 News Houston interviewed James Harden and directly asked about his low NBA2K rating. Harden's answer was short, but very to the point.

"Nah, I don't," Harden said. "I'm going to show 'em on the court. I don't really care about my rating."

I happened to notice @NBA2K gaming fans are upset by @JHarden13 James Harden's rating in NBA2K25.

I asked him about it. Had he seen it or heard about it?

"Nah, I don't... I'm going to show 'em on the court. I don't really care about my rating," he said with a chuckle. @KHOU pic.twitter.com/ktdxfVU0Xs
— Jason Bristol (@JBristolKHOU) August 23, 2024

Here is a comparison of James Harden's NBA2K ratings throughout the years:

2K18: 95
2k19: 96
2K20: 96
2K21: 96
2K22: 94
2K23: 89
2K24: 89
2K25: 84

Harden's rating has significantly dropped off now that he's joined the LA Clippers, despite putting up a fantastic outing throughout the 2024 NBA playoff. Now, without Paul George on the roster, there's going to be even more pressure on James Harden to put up the numbers he was previously capable of doing in his career.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Clippers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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