“He’s Been Doing That All Series”: Kyrie Irving’s Frustration With James Harden Shows With ‘Audio Leak’

Friends turned enemies as the Los Angeles Clippers hosted the Dallas Mavericks for an intriguing Game 5. Former Brooklyn Nets teammates James Harden and Kyrie Irving played as representatives of their respective teams in the battle. Unexpectedly, it brought out the latter’s frustration with the Clippers’ guard, exposing the cracks in their dynamic.

During the second half, the duo faced off in one possession, with Irving putting up a stiff fight against Harden. The Mavs guard initially stayed close to The Beard, forcing the latter to bring the ball close to his head to protect it. Soon, Uncle Drew tried to reach for it, resulting in a theatrical response from the host’s security guard. Consequently, the latter fulfilled his purpose when the game officials called against Irving in the process.

This visibly disappointed the Mavs star, prompting him to accuse Harden of flopping. Leaked audio from LegendZ on X (formerly Twitter) caught him saying to the match referee: “Come on man. He’s been doing that the whole series.” Irving even sarcastically imitated his former teammate’s reaction to mock him before stating: “That’s not basketball.”

Despite saying the words in the heat of the moment, Irving’s comments had a certain volume. After all, Harden leads the Clippers in free throws made per game (5) according to Basketball Reference, while shooting 92% from the free throw line. This showed his apparent tendency to collect free throws and ultimately score from them, leading to opponent frustration.

However, the Mavs have gone toe-to-toe in this regard. For example, Irving has gone to the free throw line 22 times so far and has made 90.9% of his attempts. Additionally, the franchise’s talisman, Luka Doncic, leads the series in free throw attempts per game (7.2) per Basketball reference. As a team, the visitors have also attempted 26 more free throws than the hosts in the five games.

So Irving’s comments couldn’t hide the intentions of his selection compared to the opposition. Yet the source of his accusation remained more deeply rooted than Harden’s continued antics.

Kyrie Irving’s frustration was based on James Harden’s reputation

Over the years, Harden has made a name for himself by making bad decisions in his favor at crucial moments in the game. His theatrical reactions often resulted in him being awarded a free throw, making it an important part of his gameplay. As a result, frustration boiled over among his NBA peers while his reputation as a blatant flop was magnified.

To put an end to these cases, the NBA introduced the anti-flopping rule ahead of the 2023/2024 season. It was intended to limit the seemingly unethical antics of the players while maintaining the flow of the game. Consequently, many felt that this would have a major impact on Harden’s scoring ability, limiting his offensive ability to a great extent.

Contrary to those beliefs, The Beard backed himself up during a pre-season interview USA Today Sports. Harden defended his reputation as a 10x All-Star and former MVP, saying: “Honestly, it doesn’t affect me. I’m sure this will happen for everyone in the league because it’s part of the game. If it happens, it happens; you shoot a free throw and then move on.”

Despite the statement, Harden has failed to adapt his gameplay to the demands of the NBA. During the regular season, he attempted 4.8 free throws per game, according to StatMuse, his third lowest in a single season. It consequently affected his scoring form as the California native registered 16.6 points per game StatMuse, also his third lowest in a single season.

This further validated Irving’s comments as the series entered its do-or-die phase. With the Mavs already holding a 3-2 lead and the odds slightly skewed against Harden & Co., these antics should create a difference in the Clippers’ favor.