James Harden would be heading into his 18th NBA season still chasing a championship, and the criticism that follows him has never been louder. But his Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Donovan Mitchell isn’t buying any of it.
After another postseason exit, the conversation around Harden quickly turned negative. In 18 playoff games for the Cavaliers this season, he averaged 19.2 points, 5.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds while adding 31 steals and 12 blocks. The 84 turnovers, though, gave his critics exactly what they were looking for, and the noise picked right back up.
Mitchell did not feel like he needed to stay quiet. In a three-minute-plus defense of his teammate, he made it clear that he thinks the basketball world consistently undersells what Harden has meant to the game.
“I think we ignore his greatness in a major way,” Mitchell said via 92.3 The Fan’s Darly Ruiter. “I say we, I really mean y’all, sorry. This man changed the game of basketball in ways that we’ve never seen before. We live in such a ring-dominant culture that we’re willing to write a guy off because he hasn’t gotten there. A guy that’s transcended basketball. Right? Like, in 75 years, no one’s been able to do what he does. You can say the same thing about Steph Curry. Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan. James Harden’s in that.”
Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Donovan Mitchell on James Harden’s Legacy
Mitchell’s argument went beyond stats and accolades. He brought up the way Harden elevates the people around him, pointing to the role he played in helping teammates reach MVP-caliber seasons, including Joel Embiid.
He also brought up how close Harden came to reaching the NBA Finals with the Brooklyn Nets before injuries derailed that run, framing it as bad timing more than personal failing.
“He could have one leg, and he’d be the same. I think it’s really, truly unfair, to be honest. Now more than ever, now that I see it on a daily basis, but that’s just the society we live in,” Mitchell added. “I think we are so quick to jump on him and get on him about what he’s doing at 36. At 36.”
Donovan Mitchell with a 3 minute, 11 second defense of James Harden, who will go into his 18th season in search of his first ring #Cavs pic.twitter.com/M4hQPo4GlM
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) May 26, 2026
Mitchell understands that the ring culture in today’s sports conversation isn’t going anywhere and that Harden’s lack of a title will keep getting used against him. But in his view, measuring Harden’s career by that standard alone means ignoring most of the story.
James Harden would be heading into his 18th NBA season with another chance to reshape how his career story ends. Whether that opportunity comes with the Cleveland Cavaliers, though, remains unclear for now. Whether he gets there or not, Mitchell’s message was simple. The greatness is already there but most people just aren’t looking at it right.
Related: James Harden Addresses His Future With Cavaliers After Playoff Exit