Houston Rockets star James Harden is used to flying past defenders in the NBA, but he was swiftly blocked by a traffic officer in China as he rode a scooter in Shanghai.

Harden, 29, apologized after causing a social media storm following his weekend ride on a scooter. Images circulating online showed Harden stopped by police on Saturday, and state media said it was for allegedly riding against traffic and in an area where scooters are forbidden.

A friend of his is seen on another scooter with a passenger on the back, which is illegal in Shanghai for certain types of non-motor vehicles.

"I would like to apologize for violating traffic rules during my scooter ride today," Harden wrote in English and Chinese on the Twitter-like Weibo platform on Saturday night, adding that he asked his staff to accept the penalty, which he did not specify.

"Not a good example obviously but I was just trying to enjoy the city as much as possible. Thank you for your understanding and I'll make sure to abide by the rules next time here," Harden wrote on his Weibo account, which has close to 1.6 million followers.

The Shanghai police responded to Harden's apology Sunday, quipping that a whistle can be used for the rules of the game as well as the road.

"Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards. Hope you can play better and better in your future basketball matches and everyone will be safe on the road," the police wrote on Weibo.