The Houston Rockets and James Harden were eliminated on Thursday night, and so was one fan’s quest or love.
Friday’s news cycle is churning with hot takes about James Harden’s no good terrible night. Did he quit on his team, what’s the situation with his future in Houston — all questions and more are being pondered and tossed around like a hot potato.
Harden was not the guy who had the worst night inside the Toyota Center on Thursday night. That shameful title is reserved for the poor guy who got friend zoned and then ethered by the Rocket’s video team.
Some people are experts in the NFL Draft and break down tape of prospects. I’m not an NFL Draft expert. I am, however, an expert in being perpetually friend zoned. Let’s go to the tape:
Right off the bat we know this is going to end poorly for this guy. Her reaction, the sheer shock and slight horror, combined with his not-so-subtle recognition of this, spells doom from the start.
He at the very least tries to play it off. What he does wrong here is foes too hard in playing it off. There are laughs where you deep down know you’re the joke but are able to play it off. Then there are hearty, robust chuckles like this:
All tragic tales have a point in the plot where it looks like things might actually work out — the eye of the storm. This is that moment, where we’re all tricked into thinking that this has been an elaborate ruse and our hero will indeed get the girl at the end of the day.
It wouldn’t be a tragedy without heartbreak:
Everyone will say the worst part is the friend zone graphic, but it’s just dancing on his grave at this point. The real worst moment in all of this was a few seconds before when it looked like he might have a chance. This is excessive wallowing in someone else’s downfall.
The Rockets might have made us all giggle at this burn, but they didn’t get the last laugh. Sure this guy was put on blast in front of a sold out area, but at least he came close to winning and didn’t get blow out of the building.
Still, harp on James Harden all you want — he wasn’t the only guy there last night having to explain himself the morning after.