James Harden offers wholesome advice to young hoopers with NBA dreams: "Listen to y'all parents"

After leading the LA Clippers to a 124-119 overtime road win against the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, James Harden had a wholesome interaction with young hoopers who aspire to make it into the NBA. After signing some autographs for the young group, the Clippers star formed a huddle and offered wholesome advice on how they can fulfill their dreams.

"Make sure y'all grades are good. Listen to y'all parents. And you'll be in the NBA one day!" Harden said.

With the win in their final regular-season game, the LA Clippers clinched the fifth seed in the Western Conference and also relegated the Golden State Warriors to the play-in tournament. James Harden led them to their season's 50th victory with his double-double performance of 39 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

The Clippers concluded their regular season with a dominant eight-game winning streak. They will look to carry forward the momentum as they hit the road for Game 1 of their first-round playoff series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

James Harden claps back at critics questioning his work ethic

In an interview with Haynes Briefs on Friday, James Harden addressed the scrutiny regarding his work ethic, or the alleged lack of it. The former NBA MVP dismissed critics' claims that he has not been putting in the work, citing that he would not be able to make the impact that he does if that were true.

"It really don't bother me because you don't get to this point...without putting the work in," Harden said. "You can't even think about getting this far without putting the work in or having a crazy work ethic, so that part doesn't bother me because I'm the one that's putting the work in."

Harden also expressed confidence that the perceptions will shift over time.

"Sooner or later, people will start understanding and recognizing how hard I actually did work and what I was able to accomplish throughout my career," James continued. "For now, just let them keep talking and hopefully they can change the narrative sooner or later."

Watch the segment at 7:00 here:

One of the major reasons for critics questioning his work ethic may be the fact that the 11-time NBA All-Star has been unable to win a championship over the course of his 16-year career in the league.

Having led the LA Clippers to clinch the fifth seed in the West this season, James Harden seems determined to make a run for his first championship. In the 78 games he played in the regular season, Harden averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 40.7% from the field, including 34.8% from deep.