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James Harden from the Houston Rockets’ is under investigation after a brawl took place outside a nightclub in Scottsdale, Arizona. TMZ Sports were the first to report the incident and city police would later go on to confirm the report. Harden who was voted the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for 2017-2018 will be upset with getting himself into trouble just before the new NBA season is about to start.
Harden played for the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2009 to 2012 after being selected as the third overall pick. He has played six seasons with the Houston Rockets and is also a 6x NBA All Star (2013-2018). Last year Harden averaged 30.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game.
TMZ Sports reported a woman was recording a fight outside The Mint Nightclub on Saturday morning involving someone in Harden’s entourage and another group. She alleged Harden grasped her wrist then tossed her cellphone to the club’s roof in order to prevent the clip being uploaded to a website reporting celebrity gossip.
The woman filming the incident reportedly told police she accepted a $500 offer from Harden and his group. That included $300 from Harden and $200 from his entourage for the tossed phone. Her wrist was treated at a local hospital. The woman also shared the clip with TMZ Sports after she recovered her mobile phone from the roof.
TMZSports
Reports state that the Rockets guard was not considered a suspect in the event at first and it is still very early in the investigation to conclude if Harden was involved in the incident at all. It is also difficult to recognize Harden’s face in the video.
Harden’s Nightclub History
This is not the first time Harden’s name has been connected to nightclub brawls. In June 2016 the former Arizona State University player was accused of setting up a robbery of Moses Malone Jr. outside the Houston strip club V Live.
The oldest son of the NBA champion and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer claimed the Rockets star paid $20,000 to a club bouncer. This reportedly was to avenge Malone’s Facebook post criticizing Harden’s $249 basketball camp. The club’s bouncer Darian Blount received a 35-year prison sentence for his involvement in the incident but Harden was never charged.
Past Phone Smacking Incidents
This is also not the first time that Harden has been accused of smacking phones. He has had a habit of doing this after getting upset about unwanted video clips. In May, the Rockets player smacked a phone during the Western Conference semifinals versus the Utah Jazz. This time he was upset over a heckler and smacked his phone while walking out of the locker room at halftime.
