James Harden may “do a really good job” at blocking out the noise, but he heard a certain rant from an NBA analyst loud and clear.
When asked about Brian Dameris of Bally Sports Southwest’s complaining about him on-air, the Clippers point guard — who landed in Los Angeles last month after forcing his way out of Philadelphia — said he believes Dameris was ill-informed in alleging Harden is “the problem” for his team’s struggles.
“I didn’t even hear exactly what he said, but people were telling me he was going in on me,” Harden told Bleacher Report of Dameris’ rant, which has since been deleted from Bally Sports’ X account. “He doesn’t know me or the situation.
“That would be f–ked up if I went at him and started being disrespectful to him, but I can’t.
“They don’t know anything. They just go off what they see on social media or hearsay.”
Harden, 34, went on to explain that he’s “really good” at blocking out noise from critics.
“I don’t know exactly what he said, but I pay that s–t no mind,” Harden said. “… I do a really good job at ignoring the noise because it doesn’t affect me. It’s just people talking.
“I guarantee that if you put whoever is talking in this situation, it wouldn’t be beneficial for them. That’s my mindset, but my focus is getting wins.”
The Clippers are 0-5 since acquiring Harden in a blockbuster trade with the Sixers on Oct. 31.
Harden was at the center of Dameris’ recent tirade when the Mavericks beat the Clippers on Friday, 144-126.
“I get on my knees every night and pray for someone to believe in me like [Sixers president of basketball operations] Daryl Morey believed in you,” Dameris began.
“You wanted a certain coach, they brought in Mike D’Antoni. You wanted to play a certain style, they played it. You wanted Dwight Howard, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. You wanted Chris Paul, they brought him in and got rid of him when you were tired of him. They brought in your old friend Russell Westbrook.”
The analyst recalled Harden’s tumultuous situations with the Sixers and Nets and explained how past teams would accommodate him while turning a blind eye.
He then referred to when Harden forced his way to the Nets before he left in 2022 for a reunion with Morey on the Sixers.
“You went there and got a partner [Joel Embiid] who got the MVP, and what did you say afterwards? They didn’t hand me the reins. You’re the point guard! You’re holding the reins!” Dameris said.
“And what did you do when you had the reins? You scored nine points in Game 7 against Boston. You blew a 3-2 series lead. They fired the coach. Not good enough. You broke up with the guy who believed in you again.
“You’re not the Beard, you’re not the system, you’re the problem.”
Bally Sports deleted the video on X because execs felt as though the clip “did not reflect the Mavericks organization,” according to Sports Illustrated’s Jimmy Traina.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reportedly was not involved in the having the video removed.
The video has since made its way around social media.
Harden is confident the Clippers will jell together after working through some kinks.
“When we figure this out, it’s going to be scary,” he said after scoring 21 points in a loss against the Nuggetts on Tuesday. “We’re getting there.
“We’ll let others talk, and we’ll put the work in. It’s going to take some time, and that’s OK.”
The Clippers host the Rockets on Nov. 17.