NBA superstar James Harden was arrested after being caught with a gun in Texas, it has been reported. The Cleveland Cavaliers player, nicknamed “The Beard” for his famous facial hair, is accused of “unlawfully, intentionally and knowingly” having the gun.
The incident happened at 3:40 a.m. on Saturday when his vehicle – among a group of five – was stopped by police in Houston.
During an interaction with police, the officer saw a gun in the cup holder, according to court records.
It was allegedly in “plain sight” – and was not being carried in a holster.
Harden told police it was his, according to court records, and was arrested and booked at Harris County Jail, the Houston Chronicle reported.
Further details surrounding the allegations were not made immediately available.
Sources told The New York Post that Harden was out at a Houston hookah lounge hours before the arrest with a large group of friends.
The NBA veteran was released on bond and he has a court date scheduled for June 22.
His bond terms prohibit him from possessing any firearms, ammunition, or other weapons, and from using, possessing, or consuming any alcohol, controlled substance, dangerous drug, or marijuana unless prescribed by a doc. And, he must submit to random urinalysis, TMZ reported.
He is facing one misdemeanor charge of unlawfully carrying weapons.
Harden is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards and scorers in NBA history.
In March, the player surpassed the 29,000-point mark for his NBA career – becoming only the ninth player in league history to reach the milestone.
He was traded in February from the Clippers to the Cavaliers in a swap that included Darius Garland.
The two star players both have strong ties to Houston.
Harden was previously traded from the Thunder in 2012 to the Rockets and played nine of his NBA seasons in the Texas city.
He was an All-Star selection in each of his Rockets years and in 2017-18, he won the league’s MVP honors wearing a Houston uniform.
Across his career, the veteran player has played for the Nets, 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers.
He helped advance the Cavaliers to the Eastern Conference Finals in his first year on the team, where they were eventually beaten by the New York Knicks last month.
