Apr 8, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) reacts against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NBA Legend, Ex-Celtics Star Makes Bold James Harden Statement

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 5, 2025 10:15 PM ET

The 2024-25 NBA Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was often criticized this season for being a "foul merchant." He led the NBA in free throws made with 601, attempting nearly nine free throws per game. He was the MVP for a reason, though, becoming the unstoppable offensive force that helped him lead the NBA in scoring this year, but he can embellish contact occasionally.

However, LA Clippers and former Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden was the trend-setter for foul-baiting, at least, according to NBA legend Paul Pierce, who sounded off on a recent episode of "Podcast P" with Paul George.

“I don’t think James [Harden] gets enough credit for changing the game,” Pierce said. “They say Steph [Curry], but like James too. A lot of kids is doing his [expletive], and people don’t talk about that.

"You know, they changed a lot of rules because of him. He was the first, what I guess they call, foul merchant. They had to say ‘Alright. We can’t give him that call no more. He’s too dominant with this. He outsmarting the refs’. Every year, they come back with a new rule. Like ‘Okay, we’re not gonna allow this now’. They was doing that every year with James.”

Harden took foul-baiting to a whole new level, finding ways to hook defenders' arms and still get the foul call, fool players with his pump fakes, and sell contact better than anyone. He led the NBA in free throws made and attempted in seven of his eight full seasons with the Houston Rockets, averaging about 10.5 free-throw attempts in that time. Harden was a special kind of foul merchant in Houston.

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

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