James Harden’s offseason took an unexpected turn early Saturday morning.
The Cleveland Cavaliers guard was arrested in Houston and charged with misdemeanor unlawful carrying of a weapon in a motor vehicle, according to Harris County court records and multiple reports. The arrest happened at 3:41 a.m., with charging documents stating that police observed a handgun in plain view that was not in a holster. Harden was booked shortly before 5 a.m. and later released after posting a $100 bond. His next court date is scheduled for June 22.
It is not the kind of headline anyone expects in the middle of an NBA summer news cycle. Harden has been one of the league’s most recognizable players for more than a decade, an MVP, a former Houston Rockets superstar, and now a key name attached to the Cavaliers after spending the most recent season in Cleveland.
The important part, for now, is that this remains a legal matter in its early stages. Harden has been charged, not convicted. Reports indicate the issue centers on the way the handgun was carried inside the vehicle, with authorities saying it was visible and not holstered. There were no immediate reports of violence connected to the arrest.
