Chris Russo Insults James Harden After Knicks Sweep Cavs
Following the Cleveland Cavaliers getting swept out of the NBA playoffs by the New York Knicks, sports radio personality Chris "Mad Dog" Russo called Cavs guard James Harden a "bum."
The Cavs lost all four games in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks by double digits, including Game 1 when they blew a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Despite the four-game sweep, Harden told the media after the Cavs were eliminated in Game 4 that he felt Cleveland was still the better team, even if the end results didn't show that to be the case.
After hearing those comments, Russo went after him.
Harden's a bum."
"Oh, what a stupid comment. Harden's a bum. Let's call it like we see it," Russo said on 'The Rich Eisen Show.' "If anybody wants Harden on their team in a big spot and you need your life -- he treats every game, whether it's Game 7 or a game in Sacramento in game 36 in January, he treats every game as the same. He's so careless with the basketball. The fact that Jeff Van Gundy told me about seven years ago that he thought that Harden was better than Jerry West, are you kidding me? And I love Jeff, but that was a bad one.
"Harden, he's not a championship player, simple as that. What the Cavs do with him will be interesting, because they have a handshake agreement to sign him for next year, but you're not winning with James Harden as your point guard. It's as simple as that."
Related: Draymond Green Blasts Cleveland Cavaliers for Lack of Leadership
James Harden's Contract Status for 2026 Up in the Air
Harden has a player option for next season valued at $42.3 million.
After the Cavs were knocked out by the Knicks on May 25, the 36-year-old point guard said that he wanted to be back in Cleveland next year, and reports after the game suggest that he already has a plan with the Cavs to come back on a team-friendly deal, as Russo alluded to.
While Russo personally doesn't feel like Harden is worth keeping around, the Cavs will likely want to retain him, seeing as though they gave up Darius Garland and a second-round pick at the NBA trade deadline to acquire him from the Los Angeles Clippers.
Perhaps Harden's next contract will pay him a bit less than he would have otherwise if the Cavs had made a deeper playoff run this season. But even though Russo doesn't think the Cavs should bring him back, it's likely the team will come to some sort of an agreement with him on a multiyear contract should he turn down his player option, as expected.
Still, even if Harden took less money, Russo says the Cavs should ditch him.
"He would not be on my team. If I was coaching or the owner of a team, James Harden would not be on it. He doesn't win. He doesn't play well in big spots. Case closed," Russo said.
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Cavs Reportedly Keeping Kenny Atkinson
Another big decision the Cavs have to make is what to do with head coach Kenny Atkinson, who still has three years left on his contract.
After Game 4, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said the team would consider any and all options next season as he was extremely disappointed with how their playoff run ended. But on May 26, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Cavs will bring Atkinson back next year, so it appears a change behind the bench will not be on the table, at least for now.
Although the Cavs had a disappointing end to their season, it appears that Atkinson and Harden will be returning to the team next year. But there's a long offseason ahead of us, and after the Cavs were absolutely embarrassed on their home court in Game 4, don't be surprised if Gilbert makes a big move at some point to teach his club a lesson that losing in that sort of blowout fashion at Rocket Arena is simply not acceptable.
Related: Dan Gilbert Hints at Changes After Knicks Sweep Cavs
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This story was originally published May 26, 2026 at 9:43 PM.