A late arrival at training camp this week, James Harden resumed practicing with his Rockets teammates Thursday, though his return to the hardwood was not without controversy. The eight-time All-Star was pictured on the Rockets’ Twitter account Thursday wearing a “Thin Blue Line” mask many have associated with “Blue Lives Matter” and other far-right causes. Predictably, the mask was poorly received with many accusing Harden of undermining Black Lives Matter, a social justice movement aimed at combatting police brutality against African Americans. Law enforcement has been under fire since George Floyd was killed in May by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is now being tried for second-degree murder.
In response to his multitude of critics, Harden said he had no intention of making a political statement with his mask, choosing it only because he liked the way it looked. “It was just something that covered my whole beard,” insisted Harden, the NBA’s leading scorer this year at 34.4 points per game. “I thought it looked cool. That was it.”
Harden’s explanation sounds plausible enough and should silence his critics for the time being, assuming he retires the mask that caused so much controversy Thursday. The 30-year-old guard plans to voice his support for Black Lives Matter during the Rockets’ stay in Orlando, though Harden has yet to decide whether he’ll display a social justice message on his uniform as many players are doing.
Harden’s Rockets currently hold the Western Conference’s No. 6 seed, but still have eight games to improve their position. Of course, that may prove difficult without Russell Westbrook, who remains in quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19.
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