May 28, 2018; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) walks off of the court after losing to the Golden State Warriors in game seven of the Western conference finals of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

James Harden ripped for not shaking hands after Game 7 loss

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 5/29/18

The Houston Rockets suffered a heartbreaking defeat on Monday to end their season, and James Harden heard the criticisms after the game as well.

Following the Rockets’ 101-92 loss at home to the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, Harden walked right off the court without shaking hands. He was seen in the tunnel with his jersey already off as his teammates exchanged pleasantries with the opposition. Take a look:

James Harden didn't stick around for long after Game 7 pic.twitter.com/YV0pZxkZmd

— KNBR (@KNBR) May 29, 2018

The MVP frontrunner promptly got skewered on social media for the perceived lack of sportsmanship.

James Harden didn’t shake anybody’s hands after the game. Went straight to the locker room while his teammates shook hands with the warriors. Weak move.

— Gavin Fowler (@gavinfowler16) May 29, 2018

Wow. James Harden doesn’t even stick around to congratulate the @warriors. No class. And not clutch.

— Ken Olin (@kenolin1) May 29, 2018

10 seconds after the game and James Harden already headed to the locker room, with his jersey off. Shakes no hands, shows no sportsmanship. Which is why I can never respect him. Those simple things matter. Gotta lose as good as you win.

— D Rek (@DerekMAlvarez) May 29, 2018

So James Harden walks off without shaking anybody hands? I’m sure the ladies at the club are waiting for him.

— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) May 29, 2018

When James Harden sees people shaking hands after the game

pic.twitter.com/khcwvSSF2W

— Joey Langone (@JoeyLangone) May 29, 2018

James Harden is a joke as a leader.

He looked to me as the only member of the Rockets to not shake hands with the Warriors

Just a bad look.#Rockets #WarriorsVSRockets

— Lunchbox (@RadioLunchbox) May 29, 2018

The six-time All-Star Harden entered play on Monday with averages of 28.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game for the series before putting up a 32-6-6 line in Game 7. However, the loss of backcourt running mate Chris Paul in Game 5 ultimately proved too much for Houston to overcome.

As for the Eurostepping of the handshake line afterwards, this is becoming all too familiar of a refrain for superstar players this postseason.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: