James Harden has been arrested and charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon.
The NBA player was arrested in Houston, Texas by the Houston Police Department on Saturday (June 13) at 3:41 a.m. local time. According to Harris County court records, the Cleveland Cavaliers star was accused of driving in a car he owned, with a gun "in plain view" and "not carried in a holster."
Harden was released on a $100 bond and is due back in court on June 22. As a condition of the bond, any car he drives, including his own, must have a car breathalyzer (called an "interlock ignition device" in the paperwork) installed.
In addition, Harden is prohibited from possessing any weapons, must submit to random urinalysis, and cannot use any alcohol or drugs unless they are prescribed by a doctor.
Harden's Cavaliers were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the New York Knicks last month. But despite the loss, Harden was adamant that his team was the better of the two. In the aftermath of Game 4 on May 25, he was asked whether the Knicks simply proved they were the better squad during the series.
"I can’t even answer that question honestly," Harden said during his postgame press conference. "Yeah, it was 4-0, but I don’t think we gave our best shot because of the circumstances."
"Genuinely, I do feel like we are the better team," he continued. "But series-wise, we didn’t show it."
Across the series, Harden averaged 16 points, 4.3 rebounds, and three assists. He shot just 35.7 percent from the field and 19.2 percent from three-point range against New York's defense.
"I think I did pretty good," he said in that same press conference. "I don’t even grade myself off shot-making."
