Nuggets announcer hits Clippers’ James Harden with ‘free throw merchant’ diss

James Harden is one of the most talented scorers of his generation. The Los Angeles Clippers guard has a deep bag of tricks that he uses to get to his spots. That being said, Harden also has a talent that tends to frustrate opposing fans. The guard has always been adept at drawing contact to get to the free-throw line.

While it’s a legitimate tactic that exploits a defense’s bad tendencies, it’s also not an “honorable” tactic if you ask his opponents. Even in his age-36 season, Harden is still a master at getting defenders to bite for his fakes and whatnot. During the Clippers’ game against the Denver Nuggets, Denver’s commentator took a jab at Harden when he checked into the game.

“Now you got the other free merchant coming back into the game”

Nuggets announcer when James Harden checked into the game

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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 31, 2026

Surprisingly, Harden had a quiet night from the free-throw line. The Clippers star just had five free-throw attempts during their game against the Nuggets, making all of his attempts. Harden ended the game with 25 points on 47% shooting from the field, nine assists, and five rebounds. However, the Clippers failed to get the win over the Nuggets.

There’s some merit in the Nuggets commentator’s gripes. Harden ranks fourth this season in free-throw attempts per game with 8.5 attempts per game. He’s made the most of his attempts from the line, shooting 90% from the line this season. Harden is averaging a cool 25.4 points per game, adding 8.1 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game as the central hub of the Clippers.

While the Clippers have recovered from their disastrous start to the season, they still sit below .500 with a 22-25 record. They’ve moseyed their way back into the Play-In Race, but their position is perilous to say the least. They’ll need to start notching a few more wins under their belt to make sure that their spot in the Play-In is secure… or even make it to the playoffs outright.

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