Evolution of a Harden Hater
Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2018 10:05 pm
I'm sure a few of you guys have me on an ignore list, some I've gone back and forth with, and last year really took my dislike for Harden to another level.
Before last season I didn't think much about Harden either way. But it started, for me, with Russell Westbrook.
As a Cavs fan, I can easily identify with the Thunder's situation last season. When you have a generational talent like KD (and another star in Westbrook), I'm sure OKC fans were sure that at some point they would get an NBA title. But KD left - and it instantly made me empathize with OKC and specifically, Westbrook. Then the season started, and both he and Harden came out of the gate playing well. I've only watched a few games of Harden's over the years - but last year I caught more than I had in the past, and I didn't like the method Harden seemed to use to draw fouls. Then, almost at the same time, I saw numerous threads in which fans of the Rockets and Warriors were bashing Westbrook - the motivation seemed to be the MVP discussion. With my new fondness for Westbrook and OKC, I jumped in to defend him at times.
I tried to check myself last year - "hating" on anyone or anything is something that I don't like (besides the Seahawks) and takes too much energy. But the East was not good last year, and I found myself defending the Cavs because I felt like Spurs, Rockets and Warriors fans were attempting to diminish what the Cavs might accomplish that year by belittling the East - there's some validity to that, obviously - but no fan likes a preemptive "well it doesn't matter what your team accomplishes this year because their competition sucks".
I find myself now at a crossroads - and I'm choosing to stop the hate. This thread - this post - is to help hold myself accountable. There's no reason for me to dislike Houston, and every reason to root for them over the Warriors or Spurs in the West - which is what I will be doing going forward.
I hope that the Cavs and Rockets meet in the finals - although at this point that's not looking too likely for the Cavs - congrats on the awesome season so far!
Before last season I didn't think much about Harden either way. But it started, for me, with Russell Westbrook.
As a Cavs fan, I can easily identify with the Thunder's situation last season. When you have a generational talent like KD (and another star in Westbrook), I'm sure OKC fans were sure that at some point they would get an NBA title. But KD left - and it instantly made me empathize with OKC and specifically, Westbrook. Then the season started, and both he and Harden came out of the gate playing well. I've only watched a few games of Harden's over the years - but last year I caught more than I had in the past, and I didn't like the method Harden seemed to use to draw fouls. Then, almost at the same time, I saw numerous threads in which fans of the Rockets and Warriors were bashing Westbrook - the motivation seemed to be the MVP discussion. With my new fondness for Westbrook and OKC, I jumped in to defend him at times.
I tried to check myself last year - "hating" on anyone or anything is something that I don't like (besides the Seahawks) and takes too much energy. But the East was not good last year, and I found myself defending the Cavs because I felt like Spurs, Rockets and Warriors fans were attempting to diminish what the Cavs might accomplish that year by belittling the East - there's some validity to that, obviously - but no fan likes a preemptive "well it doesn't matter what your team accomplishes this year because their competition sucks".
I find myself now at a crossroads - and I'm choosing to stop the hate. This thread - this post - is to help hold myself accountable. There's no reason for me to dislike Houston, and every reason to root for them over the Warriors or Spurs in the West - which is what I will be doing going forward.
I hope that the Cavs and Rockets meet in the finals - although at this point that's not looking too likely for the Cavs - congrats on the awesome season so far!