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Before Game 5 of the NBA Finals, basketball legend James Harden is making headlines for reasons that have nothing to do with sports.
The NBA icon — whose Cleveland Cavs were previously knocked out of the playoffs by the rookie New York Knicks — was arrested early Saturday morning in Houston after police found a gun in his car during a traffic stop.
According to court records obtained by TMZ, Harden was driving a Mercedes through downtown Houston at approximately 3:40 a.m. when officers stopped the vehicle.
During the confrontation, police allegedly spotted a gun located in the car’s cup holder. Harden reportedly admitted the gun belonged to him.
The 36-year-old was arrested and booked into the Harris County Jail on a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon.
He was later released on bail and is scheduled to appear in court on June 22.
At this point, few additional details regarding the incident have been released, and Harden has not commented publicly on the arrest.
The legal trouble comes during an eventful year for the former NBA MVP.
Harden spent the latter part of the 2025-26 season with the Cavaliers after being acquired in a February trade.
The veteran point guard averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 games with Cleveland and helped lead the team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Harden is one of the most accomplished players of his generation, earning multiple scoring titles, 11 All-Star selections, and the 2017-18 NBA Most Valuable Player Award during a career that spanned more than 17 seasons.
But attention has now turned away from his future in court and toward the upcoming legal proceedings.
We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.
