Did James Harden say he's quit going to strip clubs? Viral news debunked

LA Clippers star guard James Harden has a well-documented history of attending strip clubs over his 15-year career. On Thursday, news went viral that the former MVP would be giving up the habit, however, the report is a hoax.

The news comes courtesy of the popular parody outlet Buttcrack Sports, which regularly posts fake news. This includes fabricated quotes and out-of-context video clips.

The fake Harden quote that went viral was the following:

“After much consideration and conversation, I’ve decided to give up strip. Please respect my privacy at this time.”

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However, while the quote is a hoax, it doesn’t mean that Harden will be attending strip clubs on a nightly basis moving forward. It appears that the star guard is instead focused on getting the Clippers back on track following their 0-5 start with him in the lineup.

Also Read: "Bad news all the way around": Stephen A. Smith questions James Harden's future in the NBA

James Harden on trying to get acclimated with Clippers

James Harden recently spoke with Bleacher Report about his difficulty adapting to his new role with the Clippers.

Harden said that he is trying his best to get used to spending more time off the ball:

“I've played a handful of games, and obviously we're not winning, but I'm off the ball more than I've ever been in a very long time,” Harden said.

Harden also highlighted how the team is emphasizing getting him involved in more pick-and-roll actions moving forward:

“I'm just trying to find a balance between that and getting more pick-and-rolls,” Harden said.

“Our coaching staff and my teammates have communicated about getting me in more pick-and-roll sets.”

Harden added that he is still working his way into shape after missing training camp and the start of the season with the Philadelphia 76ers. So he will need around five more games to get back to 100%:

“I'm using the first 10 games to get in real NBA basketball shape. I didn't have a training camp, so it's going to take some time,” Harden said.

Over his first five games with LA, Harden is averaging 15.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 2.0 3-pointers per game on 47.1% shooting.

LA (3-7) next plays on Friday against the Houston Rockets (6-3). The Clippers will look to snap their six-game losing streak. Meanwhile, the Rockets will look to win their seventh straight game.

Also Read: “That would be f**ked up” - James Harden fires back at Mavs commentator following “bad roommates” comment

About the author

Tristan Rawcliffe is a basketball writer at Sportskeeda. Basketball has been Tristan's lifelong passion since age 11, and hailing from Brantford, Ontario, Tristan's loyalty lies with the Toronto Raptors.

He is a big fan of Nikola Jokic for his fundamental playstyle and Scottie Barnes for his versatility and potential. Tristan credits Nick Nurse for leading the Raptors to their first championship in 2019 and he holds Kawhi Leonard's iconic buzzer-beater in the playoffs as his favorite NBA moment.

Tristan is an all-around stats enthusiast and excels with statistical research skills to enrich his articles with compelling data and facts.

When he's not writing about basketball, Tristan enjoys spending time with family, playing sports and board games, swimming with his six-year-old son and traveling around Davao.

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Edited by Tristan Rawcliffe