"James Harden, just not in the playoffs" - $14M WWE superstar roasts Clippers guard over postseason struggles

James Harden caught a stray from a WWE superstar during the LA Clippers' game against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night. The Miz was at the Intuit Dome to promote WWE RAW's debut on Netflix, which will be held inside the Clippers' state-of-the-art arena on Jan. 6.

With Monday's episode of RAW being held at the Intuit Dome, the Clippers invited The Miz to promote the show. The former WWE champion hyped the crowd but surprisingly took a shot at Harden during the broadcast.

Speaking to courtside reporter Lauren Rosen, The Miz was asked which Clippers player would make the best WWE superstar. "The A-Lister" quickly answered Harden but only during the regular season, alluding to "The Beard" not performing when it matters the most in the playoffs.

"James Harden, just not in the playoffs," The Miz said. "Regular season James Harden is definitely a WWE superstar. The whole brand is there."

The Miz's comments were negatively received by some LA Clippers fans, defending James Harden, a former NBA MVP. However, others defended the WWE superstar, who was playing his "bad guy" character perfectly.

The 44-year-old has been with WWE since 2004 and has won it all during his career. He has amassed a net worth of around $14 million (as per Celebrity Net Worth) and has been a go-to figure for the company's public relations. He's also a huge fan of basketball but supports the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Miz was invited to play in the 2023 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Salt Lake City, Utah. He hit a memorable shot at the end of the game, making a half-court shot after the buzzer had sounded. It would have given his team the win, but it unfortunately didn't count.

The NBA and WWE have signed a long-term partnership that allows the wrestling company to sell NBA-inspired Legacy Championships. WWE also sends the reigning NBA champions their personalized championships used during their parade.

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A wrestler named James Harden once got a win in WWE

To stay on topic with James Harden and WWE, the wrestling company once named a local wrestler after him for a match against Curt Hawkins. It was an episode of RAW in 2018, fresh off after the Houston Rockets had lost to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

That game was an infamous moment in Rockets history, missing 27 straight 3-point shots in Game 7, allowing the Warriors to advance to the NBA Finals. To appease the Houston crowd a week later, WWE gave the local wrestler the "James Harden" name and allowed him to win via disqualification.

Harden hasn't had much team success since the Rockets traded him to the Brooklyn Nets. He has bounced around to the Philadelphia 76ers and now plays for the LA Clippers. However, he remains a great player, averaging 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.5 steals this season.