Scott Van Pelt Rips James Harden For His Demands Despite Disappearing During Elimination Games

ESPN's Scott Van Pelt didn't hold back and eventually unloaded on Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden for once again demanding a trade.

Harden spent about a season and a half with the 76ers and already wants out.

Van Pelt wasn't impressed and ripped into Harden for putting his team in a bind, something he has done more than once during his NBA career.

"What are we going to do here?" Van Pelt said of the Harden/Sixers situation. "On the one hand, this is a former MVP who is still talented."

With the niceties out of the way, Van Pelt dug in.

"Harden looks in the mirror and he still sees a superstar who should get whatever he wants. And in the NBA, superstars generally do. He has. Twice."

The SportsCenter anchor was referencing how Harden had already strong-armed his way to being traded by the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets.

"The now nearly-34-year-old, for a third time, wants to go elsewhere, which requires someone to want him enough to give what Philly deems to be enough."

Scott Van Pelt criticized James Harden for making repeated superstar demands, only to go missing at key times during the postseason. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Harden Has A Habit Of Vanishing During Key Moments

Van Pelt then pointed out that the problem there is that Harden's streakiness would make figuring out a deal a tall order.

"When he does what he does in Games 1 and 4 of the series (the 76ers) had in the playoffs against Boston last year, where he combined to score 87 points, well, that price would justifiably be high.

However, he pointed out that in Games 6 and 7 Harden had just 22 points and was just 1-11 in 3-point range.

That's not a new thing. Van Pelt pointed out that Harden's teams are 1-9 in their last 10 elimination games.

"The glaring disappearances in massive spots in the playoffs; that's on Harden," he said. "And who is lining up to give away a pile for that knowing that if it gets sideways — which it inevitably seems to do — he'll just say that he wants out again?"

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