James Harden has now been a member of the LA Clippers for nearly 10 months, and it feels safe to say he has won over a good portion of the fanbase. During the Clippers' hot streak during December and January of last season, he was a key part to the team's consistency and helped them become one of the best teams in the association during that time.
But it is also fair to say that Harden is not the player he once was. Previously a one-man offense that could get his own shot from anywhere on the floor and drew unbelievable levels of attention from defenses, James has seen the natural aging process (combined with injuries) take something of a toll on his body.
Of course, he is still a more than serviceable player. However, the latest edition of the NBA 2K ratings do not seem to be so high on him. With the release of NBA 2K25's ratings this week, it was revealed that Harden earned an 84 overall rating.
Harden responded to his 84 overall rating in NBA 2K
This rating indicated a five-point drop from last year's edition of the game, and represented his lowest overall rating since 2K13 dropped back in 2012. TV anchor Jason Bristol of KHOU 11 News Houston recently asked James publicly if he had any thoughts on his admittedly low rating.
"Nah, I dont," Harden said. "I'm gonna show them on the court. I don't really care about a rating." A fitting response, especially for a former MVP of the league. Harden knows what he brings to the table, and is as cognizant as anyone that game developers just flat-out get it wrong sometimes.
Frankly, I would guess that James wouldn't care if 2K gave him a 65 overall rating if he was able to go out and prove just how wrong it was in the following season. On-court success is the only thing that really matters, and Harden knows that he'll be given proper respect if and when he achieves that.