top of page

Welp, Harden done did it again

  • Writer: Jacob Schnee
    Jacob Schnee
  • Jan 4, 2019
  • 2 min read

Updated: Dec 26, 2020

“Oh snap! Rockets are going against the Dubs tonight!” I shouted from the other room.

“Wow, Paul is still hurt too, isn’t he?” Ashley says, making me inordinately proud.

“That’s going to be some game. Harden has scored 40 every game for the last month.”

It's important to note: with the new year, and new family, my focus has shifted. Gone are the days when I would savor a complete basketball game on a random Thursday night - whomever might be playing.

I can find enjoyment in watching almost any team (I say “almost” because the 11-12 Bobcats existed, the 09-10 Nets existed, the 14-15 T-wolves existed, and the Wizards are still here). Basketball is in my DNA. I’ve been playing organized ball for 25 years now, next year.

CYO all throughout elementary and middle school, High School Varsity, College (Intramural counts. I’m counting it.), and Rec leagues from then out.

The game is what moves me - more than any of the players, coaches, teams, or storylines. It’s just in my bones. I got a basketball jones.

"Turn on the game," Ash tells me. But I decide against it - I could be more productive getting my affairs in order, taking care of my wife and young child, preparing for a year that will be more demanding professionally than any before it.

An hour later, I check the score: "oh, this is one of those games." Rockets are down 17. No CP to ease Harden’s woes. Unless Capela’s got 20 and 20 and Gordon is having a fierce kind of flashback, my time is much better spent elsewhere. Nothing to see here.

90 minutes later, I'm brushing my teeth getting ready for bed. I check my phone and see a picture of James Harden, looking like a lion who just ripped the heart out of a wildabeest. He and the Rockets came storming back and pulled out the win.

Sundry notes, in no particular order:

  • I should have watched that damn game. I won't lose any sleep but man are those classics enjoyable.

  • I didn’t see the game, but given the finish, I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes down as one of the best this year. They tend to happen that way.

  • On that game-winning 3, it sure looked personal for Harden.

  • And we all thought Kobe was polarizing. James Harden is one of the most vexing players to do it today. There’s no lukewarm on James Harden. He’s either the saintly, preternaturally gifted all-around basketball savant carrying the legacy of Ginobili to untold new heights - or the conniving, flopping, boorish antichrist snake oil trafficker ruining the game we all love.

  • Now seems a good time to acknowledge just how good the NBA is with their marketing strategy, policies, and decision making. Allowing everyone to freely share game film and clips, unlike the NFL (or the MLB). They’re ahead of the curve. Today’s is the economy of streaming, on demand, sharing freely. It’s why Spotify is soaring and record labels are foundering. Today’s economy boils down to one thing: attention. And they’ve got it. And it’s not an accident.


Recent Posts

See All
Last night in Denver

"This league is so damn good at marketing," I thought to myself as I read the push notification. "Free League Pass Preview: Watch the...

 
 
 

Comments


The things you say every day - are they yours, or could they have been uttered by anyone else?

New York, NY | Ann Arbor, MI | Portland, OR | Vancouver, WA

© 2025 by Jacob Schnee

Created with Wix.com

bottom of page