shannon-sharpe-takes-shot-at-james-harden-over-strip-club-visit-allegations

Shannon Sharpe Takes Shot at James Harden Over Strip Club Visit Allegations

This Tuesday, a video circulated on social media that showed Houston Rocket’s point guard, James Harden, partying at a strip club. Many have taken shots at the eight-time NBA All-Star over social media. One of those is Shannon Sharpe, the former NFL wide receiver and current NFL analyst.

“Magic City going to name entire menu after Harden,” Sharpe said in the post. Magic City is a famous Atlanta strip club where professional athletes and musicians have been known to attend.

Context For Shannon Sharpe’s Jab

The joke comes from a segment of Shannon Sharpe’s show “Undisputed,” in which Sharpe discusses the incident. In a conversation with co-host, Skip Bayless, Sharpe considers what the incident says about the player. “Away from the building, that exposes who a player really is at his core,” Sharpe explains.

Later, the two discuss where James Harden may end up if his requested trade goes through. Here, Shannon Sharpe inserts his first real jab at Harden. “I don’t think James Harden wants to go to Boston. Their entertainment business is not the same as in Houston,” he joked. He followed that with “Atlanta might be a better place to play,” which he references in the Tweet.

Implications for the Allegations

The NBA and the Houston Rockets have not yet confirmed whether the video actually occurred on Tuesday. However, if confirmed, Harden would have violated the NBA COVID-19 protocols. As a result, the NBA would disqualify him from the Rockets’ opening game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. As Shannon Sharpe mentions in “Undisputed,” this kind of behavior negatively affects team dynamics, regardless of when the video happened.

Other Stars in Trouble

James Harden isn’t the only star athlete under fire for extra-curricular events after this weekend. Following the Washington Football Team 20-15 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, a similar situation occurred. Washington quarterback, Dwayne Haskins Jr. was also caught on video partying at a strip club without a mask. The Football Team fined Haskins former first-round draft pick $40,000 for the break of COVID protocol. They also stripped him of his captaincy.