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Liberal Sports Commentator Regrets Comparing NBA Star To POTUS

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James Harden
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Max Kellerman is walking back one of his most viral sports takes after comparing James Harden to President Donald Trump following another playoff collapse.

The former ESPN host admitted this week that he crossed a line when he used Trump as a punchline while criticizing Harden’s postseason performance for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“I shouldn’t have said that because it’s not fair to James Harden,” Kellerman said last week on his podcast.

“I did not mean to insult him publicly in a way that was going to go viral. It was too severe.”

The controversy started after Cleveland dropped Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the New York Knicks.

Harden struggled throughout the loss, finishing with 15 points while committing six turnovers.

It was the 48th playoff game of his career in which he recorded at least as many turnovers as made field goals.

While Cleveland entered the series with championship hopes, the Knicks erased a 22-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 before eventually sweeping the Cavaliers out of the playoffs.

Kellerman responded by unloading on the veteran guard during an episode of his “Game Over” podcast.

“Bringing in James Harden to win a championship is like electing Donald Trump to fix your country,” Kellerman said.

The comment immediately generated attention online and became one of the most discussed moments from the episode.

A week later, Kellerman publicly backed away from it. “When you make an analogy like that, you use hyperbole, you use exaggeration to make your point,” Kellerman remarked.

“So I don’t think it’s as bad as electing Trump to fix your country, but that’s the idea,” he added.

“That’s the opposite of what you’d do if you’re trying to get a certain result.”

The original comparison came after another disappointing postseason showing from Harden.

Harden struggled throughout the series. The 36-year-old averaged 16 points per game during the series and finished Game 4 with just 12 points while shooting 2-for-8 from the field and missing all six of his three-point attempts.

Defensively, the problems were equally noticeable. New York star Jalen Brunson shot 7-of-11 when defended by Harden during the series.

Knicks coach Mike Brown acknowledged after the opener that New York intentionally targeted the veteran guard.

“It was no secret: We were attacking Harden,” Brown stated. “Just like we have to figure out different ways to guard Harden and [Donovan] Mitchell, they have to find ways to guard Jalen.”

“Sometimes you’ve got to do what the game dictates, and they were trying to do the same thing with Jalen (Brunson), so we said, ‘OK, we feel like we can play that game.’”

Despite the criticism, Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson never considered pulling Harden during the collapse.

“No, he’s been one of our best defenders in these playoffs,” Atkinson commented. “I trust him – smart, great hands. Didn’t think about that.”

Following Cleveland’s elimination Monday night, Harden pushed back against the suggestion that the Knicks were simply the better team.

“I can’t even answer that question, honestly,” Harden said when asked how much better New York was than Cleveland.

“Obviously, they dominated us 4-0, but I don’t know if I can necessarily answer that question because, genuinely, I do feel we are the better team. But series-wise didn’t show it, so tough question to answer.”

Harden blamed shot-making for much of the difference between the teams.

“They made shots, some open and some just tough shots,” he stated. “I don’t think we made really any.”

The former MVP also defended his first season in Cleveland and indicated he wants to remain with the organization moving forward.

Asked whether he wanted to return next season, Harden answered “100%.”

“I feel like we got it if we [add] a couple more pieces, [make] adjustments and get a whole full season,” Harden said.<

“We went through our adversity in this postseason. We didn’t really know each other. We still don’t really know each other,” he explained. “I think having a full year will definitely help coming off this push.”

The expectation around the league appears to match Harden’s position.

Harden holds a $42.3 million player option for the 2026-27 season, though he could decline it and negotiate a longer contract.

“James Harden is going to be a Cav next year,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst commented Tuesday. “He’s going to sign a new contract, in all likelihood.”

“He’s going to opt out of his contract and sign a new deal, and that new deal will probably be structured in a way that will allow the Cavs to dip below the second apron.”

Kellerman’s apology also revived discussion about the political commentary that frequently surfaced during his run on ESPN’s “First Take.”

Over the years, Kellerman regularly mixed sports and politics, often criticizing Trump and his supporters on-air.

In 2020, he argued that Trump voters in the South were “susceptible to very low-quality information, easy to propagandize, and almost immune to facts.”

His political commentary frequently generated friction with viewers and became a recurring source of criticism during his partnership with Stephen A. Smith.

According to reports and comments Smith later made publicly, Kellerman’s political commentary contributed to his departure from “First Take.”

Kellerman currently has a Netflix podcast with LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul.

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