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NBA star James Harden was reportedly arrested early Saturday morning in Houston on a misdemeanor weapons charge after police allegedly observed a handgun inside his vehicle during a traffic stop, according to reporting from KTLA.
The 36-year-old former MVP was later released on a $100 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on June 22.
At first glance, it may sound like a straightforward gun case. Then you start reading the details.
According to multiple reports cited by KTLA, the handgun was allegedly in plain view inside Harden’s vehicle and was not being carried in a holster. That’s where things get confusing.
Texas is a constitutional carry state. Adults who can legally possess a firearm generally do not need a permit to carry one. Open carry is legal. Carrying a handgun in a vehicle is legal. Gun ownership is about as common in Texas as pickup trucks and barbecue joints.
So what exactly happened here? At this point, that’s the question everyone seems to be asking.
What We Know
The publicly reported facts are limited:
- Harden was stopped by police in Houston.
- Officers allegedly observed a handgun inside the vehicle.
- The handgun reportedly was not in a holster.
- Harden was charged with a misdemeanor.
- He was released on a $100 bond.
- A court appearance is scheduled for June 22.
What hasn’t been publicly explained is why those facts resulted in a criminal charge. That’s one reason the arrest quickly caught the attention of gun-rights advocates.
CCRKBA Questions the Charge
The Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms (CCRKBA) said the case raises significant questions based on what has been publicly reported so far.
“Let me see if we have this straight,” said CCRKBA Executive Director Andrew Gottlieb. “Harden had a gun, in Texas, which is a constitutional carry state where no carry license is required, open carry is legal and it was not in a holster.”
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Gottlieb argued that, based solely on the information currently available, the charge appears difficult to reconcile with Texas’ generally firearm-friendly laws.
CCRKBA Director Mark Walters echoed those concerns, noting that many gun owners would likely be surprised to learn someone could face criminal charges under the circumstances described in media reports.
Waiting for the Missing Details
Of course, there may be additional facts that have not yet been released publicly. That’s an important caveat.
At the moment, most reporting relies on brief references to charging documents without providing the full context behind the allegation. Until those details become public, it’s difficult to determine whether this is a simple case of a firearm being improperly stored, a misunderstanding of Texas law, or something else entirely.
For now, the story remains less about what happened and more about what we still don’t know.
And until those unanswered questions are addressed, Harden’s arrest is likely to generate plenty of debate among both basketball fans and gun owners alike.
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is a seasoned outdoorsman, lifelong hunter, and the kind of guy who’d rather track whitetails than scroll social media. As an editor for GunsAmerica, he’s got a sharp eye for spotting both solid gear and bad gun laws. Whether he’s deep in the woods or deep in editorial deadlines, Larry brings a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is approach to firearms, hunting, and the great American tradition of self-reliance. If there’s a hot debate on gun rights or the latest in hunting tech, you can bet Larry’s got an opinion—and it’s probably backed up with both facts and field experience.
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I don’t think we need to look any further than the mayor’s office on this one! Deep, deep blue.
The Hardin v Texas gun situation seems out of line. The Supreme Court recently ruled 9-0 that the mere presence of a handgun in most states is not against the law and certainly NOT a reason to authorize a search. So what’s the bid deal Texas. Unless he is a prohibited person, there is no there, there.
There is more to this. Most likely the fool got shitty with the cop. Not un common for a celebrity,or for “a person of color” these days.
Nowhere in the article did it cite the wording of Texas firearms law regarding carrying a pistol upholstered in a vehicle. For reference, Texas considers all persons not otherwise prohibited from being issued a license as a “License Holder”.
“Sec. 46.035. UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE HOLDER…. It is an exception to the application of this subsection that the handgun was partially or wholly visible but was: …(2) in a holster, and the handgun and the license holder were in a motor vehicle.”
So based on the facts so far, Mr. Harden is technically wrong. But police have discretion to arrest or not, and why they chose to is still a mystery. Let this be a hard lesson to all Texans. This could have been you.
I am as pro gun as can be, but this guy is not a martyr for the cause. Know the laws of the state where you are carrying, and do it their way, period. Most constitutional carry states require you to be a resident of that state, and I have no idea if he is. But there is likely more to this story that a simple missing holster.
You’re not pro gun at all 🤦♂️
Zero constitutional carry states require citizenship of that state to carry. There used to be two states that did have that requirement but have since amended their laws.
There in lies the question; what ARE those additional facts not released in this case? On its face it looks like an arrest by an over zealous cop who could likely end up being sued for false arrest. What was the cops PC? Is that the whole story – a routine traffic stop, cop see’s a gun on the seat in an open carry condition, and decides to arrest Mr. Harden? If so it sounds to me like Mr. Harden needs to sic his attorney on that cop AND his department.