When Iman Shumpert came to James Harden’s aid for bulking up when ‘The Beard’ was recovering from injury - “He’s gonna gain a little weight”

James Harden missed 21 of the Brooklyn Nets' last 24 games at the tail end of the 2020-21 season due to a right hamstring injury. Most fans noted that “The Beard” had promptly gained weight when he sat on the sideline during warmups.

Former Houston Rockets teammate Iman Shumpert had this to say to critics of Harden on Vlad TV during that time:

(3:10 mark)

“He’s[Harden] never been skinny. … You can’t do cardio on a hamstring. It’s like the one thing you can’t do [with a hamstring injury].

“Y’all mad at 'The Beard' for having a hamstring injury and putting on some weight? … We gotta realize humans are humans. His hamstring was hurting and he can’t do cardio! He’s gonna gain a little weight, man.”

Shumpert added:

“I know y’all see he got the fat boy traits. … He might get a little build that might get a little pudgy but that’s okay, man. The man was still able to get to his step-back, balance, not fall, not get hurt.”

Despite the gain in weight, James Harden played well in the first round of the playoffs against the Boston Celtics. The former MVP averaged 27.8 points, 10.6 assists, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 steals, helping the Brooklyn Nets eliminate the Celtics in five games.

With Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant playing their usual games, Boston had no chance. The Nets confirmed their pre-season status as heavy favorites to win the NBA championship.

Disaster, however, struck in the opening minute of the Brooklyn Nets’ series against the Milwaukee Bucks. James Harden re-injured his right hamstring and was forced to leave the game. The Nets shortly announced after “The Beard” was taken to the locker room that he would not return to the game.

Harden returned to play versus the Bucks in Game 5 of the semifinal series. He visibly struggled, laboring to finish the night with six points, eight assists and six rebounds in 46 minutes. “The Beard” didn’t have his explosiveness or the lift in his shots, making just 1-10 field-goal attempts.

---

James Harden’s hamstring injury and Kyrie Irving’s sprained ankle probably cost the Brooklyn Nets an NBA championship

James Harden looked like a shell of himself after re-injuring his right hamstring in Game 1. In Games 5 to 7, Harden averaged 14.3 PPG, 8.0 APG and 6.7 RPG. He shot just 31.7% from the field, including 22.2% from 3-point range.

Kyrie Irving’s ankle injury also made matters worse for the Brooklyn Nets. However, despite the two playing just four of the seven-game series, Kevin Durant nearly dragged them past the eventual champion Bucks.

Durant’s buzzer-beating triple, which was later reduced to two points, is the most popular story in Game 7. There might not have been a deciding winner-take-all game if Harden’s hamstring didn’t flare up and if Irving didn’t roll his ankle.

The trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden only has one playoff series win to show. Things could have been incredibly different had “The Beard” and the mercurial point guard not sustained injuries.

---