James Harden delivered one of his best performances of the season Wednesday night against the New York Knicks. The 37-year-old scored a season-high 32 points in a welcome showing for the Cleveland Cavaliers after an uneven start to the year.

But a report on his conditioning, along with his own explanation that he needed time to adjust to the season, gave fans another reason to scrutinize his early form.

Fans Push Back on James Harden’s Explanation for His Slow Start to the 2026-27 Season

Harden scored 32 points as the Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 115-107. He shot 9-for-14 from the field, made 5 3-pointers and went 9-for-11 from the free-throw line in 33 minutes.

In a Thursday report for The Athletic, Joe Vardon wrote that the veteran guard did not arrive at training camp in good shape and has been using the opening part of the season to play his way into shape. Vardon also reported that Harden said he did not play much pickup basketball during the summer.

The former NBA MVP acknowledged that he expected the transition into the season to take some time.

“I knew it was going to take a little bit of time to get adjusted to the speed, the pace, all of the above,” Harden said. “I’m not young, so I can’t just be ready (immediately), so I already knew that coming into the season. So now it’s like, all right, cool, (now) I feel really good. And the work is automatically getting put in. That’s why I have been able to last so long in this league.”

Wednesday marked just his second game with at least 20 points this season. His first came on Oct. 29, when he scored 24 against the Atlanta Hawks.

With Cleveland sitting at 6-6, Vardon’s report and Harden’s comments brought his preparation into focus. The 11-time All-Star is playing on a three-year, $96.5 million contract with the Cavaliers that includes a player option for 2028-29.

Some fans immediately connected the situation to previous stops in his career.

“Seen this movie before, he’s gonna ask for a trade and magically be 30 lbs lighter,” one NBA fan scoffed.

“Yeah he’s heart obviously isn’t in it anymore just wrap it up at this point,” another fan quipped.

A third referenced Harden’s history of changing teams: “Next report: James Harden wants out of Cleveland. Same script, different jersey.”

The criticism also centered on his preparation.

“Making conscious decisions not to be ready for work getting paid millions of dollars is pretty brazen,” one fan wrote.

Another called him a “Hall of Fame bag chaser,” while one simply asked, “Why does he do this every year.”

Questions about Harden’s conditioning have followed him before. During his final season with the Houston Rockets in 2020-21, the three-time scoring champion arrived late to training camp amid a trade request, and NBA.com reported after his move to the Brooklyn Nets that he appeared to be out of shape after joining Houston once camp had already begun.

This is Harden’s first full season in Cleveland after the Cavaliers acquired him from the Los Angeles Clippers shortly before last season’s trade deadline in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick.

He is averaging 16.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists through 12 games while shooting 39.0% from the field.

His 32-point performance against New York offered Cleveland its best version of Harden so far this season. The question now is whether it marked the beginning of a turnaround after a slow start.