James Harden "didn't like the attention" he received whilst dating Khloé Kardashian. 

The NBA star romanced the 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star for eight months in 2015 - a year he's now branded the "worst" period of his life - but has admitted he hated the unwanted "attention" he attracted because he was dating the reality TV star.

Speaking to Sports Illustrated magazine, the hunk said: "I didn't like all the attention. I feel like it was for no reason. I wasn't getting anything out of it except my name out there and my face out there, and I don't need that. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it wasn't me. I don't need pictures of myself when I'm driving my car. Who cares? What shoes am I wearing? Who cares? Where am I eating? Who cares? It was unnecessary stuff that I think trickled down to my teammates. I had to eliminate that."

The couple split up in early 2016 because the 27-year-old sportsman - who was also plagued with injury and his team the Houston Rockets were on a losing streak while he was dating the blonde bombshell - wanted to focus 100 per cent on his game. 

He explained the publication: "I'm not worried about anything but hooping and that may be why I'm having this kind of success. I like knowing I'm not going to see myself [on the cover of tabloid magazines]. It feels good."

While James is now devoted wholeheartedly to basketball, Khloé has since moved on and is in a relationship with Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson, 25.

And it looks like things are getting pretty serious between the pair as the 32-year-old reality TV star - whose divorce from Lamar Odom was finalised in December after she first filed the papers in 2013 - can see herself settling down with the hunk in the future.

She said recently: "I'm in a really good space right now in my life. It's really good. I feel really happy and secure and I'm just in a really positive, healthy relationship."