James Harden Stopped on Scooter by Shanghai Traffic Police

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.

Harden reportedly had his scooter confiscated by the authorities, who have been stepping up the policing of traffic regulations in recent weeks in Shanghai. Police have been seen on most major intersections across the city, hitting violators with on the spot fines from 30RMB (4USD) and up.

Although some commenters on microblogging site Weibo suggested jokingly that he could have gotten away without punishment if he’d offered an autograph, Harden has apologized for his actions and (according to the Chinese version of a post on his official account) “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.

Meanwhile, fellow NBA player Nick Young responded with this shout-out to Mobike:

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