In my haste to get caught up on the things that I loved and hated most about the NBA Playoffs so far – Rajon Rondo and Joey Crawford, respectively – I almost forgot my absolute biggest new sports man crush, James Harden. If the Oklahoma City Thunder don’t win it all this season, they better damn well get it done next season, because after that they’re probably going to have to do it without Harden, who will be due for one hell of a payday.
I don’t, by any means, think that Harden is a superstar. I also don’t think he deserves a max deal. However, if my team – and this is hypothetically pretending that my team won’t be in salary cap hell for the next three years – decided to throw the checkbook at Harden, I would squeal with delight. There’s just something about him that makes me love basketball even more than I already do. Maybe it’s the beard or maybe it’s just his fearlessness, but Harden is flat out F-U-N to watch.
After the jump, I’ve created a little mish mash of my favorite Harden moments from this year’s playoffs and other games to show my respect, in case he wants to be my best friend.
(Banner via)
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I like Harden to a certain point, but this season he’s been a little too Jason Terry-esque for my tastes. The celebratory gloating after making a 3 bothers the hell out of me. It’s like, yeah, you made a shot. Unless it’s the game winner, shut up and get back on defense. It’s the same annoyance I feel when someone freaks out and screams their head off after a dunk. Hooray! That was worth a whole 2 points! Congratulations!
/invalid because I’m a Spurs fan
That’s the same drawback I have. I feel like he gets too cocky and I don’t like that from dudes who flop.
JET doesn’t do it after every basket. Most of the time he does it when a team calls a time out after a big basket. As a Spurs fan you should know that.
Harden is seriously clutch but man he is the biggest flopper outside of the heat dressing room. It makes him unappealing to me despite his mammoth beard of epicness.
There’s no question that he’s likely to get overpaid by someone, hopefully no the Thunder. I mean I like Harden a lot and he’s very valuable to the Thunder, but it will be hard for them to keep both Harden and Ibaka when someone is surely going to offer Harden a max contract, and if they match that they won’t be able to keep Ibaka. I’d rather they keep Ibaka if they have to let one of those two go.
I expect my Cavs to make a major push to get him. Kyrie/Beardo/and whoever they get this year between MKG, Beal, or Barnes (ugh) would be pretty incredible
It scares me overpaying Harden, but not as much as Ibaka. In today’s NBA its hard to find a guy that can create his own shot and one who will go to the basket. I would give him 10 mil a year, but no more than that.