[Grantland] The Irritation Game: How James Harden and the Rockets Undid LeBron and the Cavs

Every Labron team plays like a bully. They know they have the best player on the court at all times so they just try to bully everyone every year. Sure we're not like SA who can just out-play them cause of an unbelievable system, so we play hard-nosed, tough as nails, physical ball. If we're categorized as villians for that, then so be it. We proved last night, we're NOT getting bullied anymore.

 

I embraced the hate long ago. It's just weird to me because the hate is 95% manufactured by the media instead of us actually doing anything to earn the moniker.

On a side note, please change my rep status from Moses Malone to ****boi. Or "Contributing Member" to ****boi. Whichever.

 

Nothing turns the perception of being the bad guy to good guy as fast as a championship

 

I don't mind the bad guy label, but I really find that term he used to be extremely unprofessional.

 

I think it was a light kick, but he did it on purpose to retaliate against the injustice of being pulled down on the floor and not getting a call in the first place.

 

Here is ****boi's twitter, https://twitter.com/netw3rk, go spam his jealous hater ass. he's a knick fan LOL!!!!

 

fack that, i want the 'ship and the hate. makes it even sweeter!!!

 

No big deal. Our guys have to keep on getting better ie play smart and tough basketball.

 

A term someone with a very limited vocabulary would use.

 

He's a knick fan? He's suffering enough

 

Now that dorks like Concepcion are using "****boi," hopefully it's nearing the end of its course and will be flushed out of the system. Sort of like "butthurt" lost steam when grandmas started saying it on Facebook.

 

Mozgov played like a biotch all damn game yet we're the villans?

 

Us against the world #RedNation

 

James Harden isn't trying to act like a ****boi, and he doesn't think he's a swag champ.
He thinks he's a pilgrim.

(you know where I'm going with this)

Spoiler

 

I don't mind the "villains" tag or the everyone including media "hate" the Rockets tag. I just hope that come playoff times refs aren't fooled by this nonsense and don't swallow their whistles on legit fouls on Harden or other Rockets.

My fear is biased refereeing.

 

I think the newly-instituted NBA referee review for the last 2 minutes every game will mitigate much of that.

 

How are the Rockets being vilified for beating the Cavs? I thought this was going to help the rockets on the national stage. Boy was I wrong. I'm truly surprised by all the hate.

 

Did people bother to read the article? It's largely complimentary and addresses the ESPN comment section belief that the Rox collectively won't get calls in the playoffs:

 

that's how you know the hate is real and alive!!! james could save children from a burning orphanage and the haters will find a way to hate.

 

No wonder he hates us. We've whooped da Knicks asses for the last five years