Chinese authorities have done what NBA refs could never do to Houston Rockets star James Harden: called a traveling violation. Harden was stopped in Shanghai on Saturday where he was riding a scooter without a helmet, according to images and video that have since gone viral.
James Harden is enjoying his offseason ?
(via xiaxiaolou/IG) pic.twitter.com/ZfrhDwUzRF
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 29, 2019
James Harden pulled over in China while traveling on an electric bike.
? @YuFu_tencent pic.twitter.com/7Ga8jZssrJ
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) June 29, 2019
Harden reportedly had his scooter confiscated by the authorities, who have been stepping up the policing of traffic regulations in recent weeks in Shanghai. Violators can be fined on the spot.
Although some commenters on microblogging site Weibo suggested jokingly that he could have gotten away without punishment if he’d offered an autograph, Harden apologized for his actions and according to the Chinese version of his official post, “instructed staff to accept the fine”. He also stressed the importance of road safety.
The shooting guard was in China as part of a promotional tour for Adidas, but his run-in with police has resulted in a different kind of attention with images and video of him on the scooter — and running into trouble with the authorities — being spread widely across social media. Perhaps one of the most notable reactions however, came from this Nick Young Mobike shout out:
