Fansided

Every NBA team’s biggest celebrity fan

By Brendon Kleen

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 22: Beyonce and Jay Z laugh during the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on January 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 22: Beyonce and Jay Z laugh during the game between the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center on January 22, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 19: Beyonce reacts after the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center on February 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – FEBRUARY 19: Beyonce reacts after the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center on February 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

Houston Rockets: Beyonce

For sports fans, the best part of the Beyonce renaissance over the last few years has been the way she’s started to honestly identify as a Texan. That means a lot of things, but in the specific space we’re discussing, it means she’s a Rockets fan. That’s a really good thing.

She ends up at quite a few Nets games as a result of her relationship with Jay-Z, who is a former minority owner and megafan of the franchise. She is also probably pretty involved in the business side of things nowadays, with Jay representing several NBA players as the CEO of Roc Nation, his agency.

Two former Rockets are represented by Roc Nation Sports: Ty Lawson and Jeremy Lin. Put on your investigator hat and imagine the hand Beyonce might have had in those business relationships. Be honest with yourself.

But back to the Harden love. In 2013’s Beyonce, a surprise album in every sense of the word surprise, there is a song called “No Angel”. The video for that song is super homesick and represents Texas in a cool and powerful way. There are lots of shots of people doing things that make them look hard and then staring into the camera. There are also lots of shots, during the most important lyrical parts of the song, where Beyonce is lying down in a James Harden jersey and caressing herself. Take a look:

Besides Harden himself, whose beard is a whole other kind of physical power, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone rock that red jersey harder than in that video. A real fan wouldn’t rub it anyone’s face; Beyonce just happens to be wearing this article of clothing while writhing on a couch. No big deal. It’s what real fans do. You wouldn’t get it.

She looks solid in the Harden jersey, and went back to it while on tour for that album later in the year. Harden commemorated the event on Instagram, for the culture:

I don’t see any of these other celebrity fans putting their body into the fandom the way Beyonce does. No one else is dancing with a jersey on. Beyonce is the best.

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