Houston Rockets: We On Award Tour With James Harden My Man

As we enter the 2014-15 post-season, I think it’s fitting to pay tribute to James Harden’s exceptional performance. His qualifications to be MVP have been hotly contested; however, his fans don’t see what the confusion is.

In my opinion James Harden is most deserving of the award. Harden led the league in points scored (2217) and minutes played (2981), so don’t be misled by Russell Westbrook’s scoring average of 28.1ppg and Jimmy Butler’s 38.7 average minutes per game, both players missed numerous games. He’s number one in free throws made (715) and attempted (824). Harden is the first player in NBA History to have at least 200 3pt field goals made (208) and 700 free throws made in the same season.

Traditionally the NBA MVP has gone to the best player on the team with the best record. The Golden State Warriors have been the front runner all year long, finishing (67-15), so with Steph Curry being the best player on the Warriors; it’s viewed as his award to win.

Harden has been overlooked and under recognized by the mainstream media, sort of like my favorite rap group, A Tribe Called Quest. ATCQ is comprised of New York natives Q-Tip (The Abstract Poetic), Phife Dawg (Five Foot Assasin), and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (Mr. Muhammad). Their 1991 hit, Award Tour, was an ode to those who don’t get the credit they deserve.

So, I changed the lyrics to Award Tour to pay homage to James Harden’s journey to becoming a NBA MVP. And without further ado, “Who can drop it on an angle, acute at that, so do that, do that, do do that that that… I learned how to build mics in my workshop class, so give me this award and lets not make it the last” Q-Tip, Award Tour.

We on award tour with James Harden my man

Going each and every place droppin’ 40 like damn

Sacramento, Portland, Indiana, Phoenix

We on award tour with James Harden my man

Going each and every place droppin’ 50 like damn

Denver and Sacra-mento

How do you want it? When you step in my place

Buckets, buckets, buckets all up in your face

They said I wouldn’t play D (defense) in any case

Now I play the passing lanes, suffocating your space

I have a quest to have the ball in my hand

Now you must fear the beard (1) along with Superman (2)

So H-town join me and twirl your left index as I cook it up (3)

Ask LeBron, can I kick it, he’ll tell you the way I do it is nuts (4)

When was the last time you heard the barber (5) cuts were sloppy

Step daddy (6) so deadly – It will make you call me poppy

I’ve met all the challenges this year, so you know I don’t fess

Sky’s the limit, so you gots to believe I’m the best

My head fakes and eurostep will get defenders out my path

If not that, my crazy handle will put defenders on dat ass

Non-believers you can check my stats

Smitty’s top five under the rim is where you see the facts

If you ask Mark Jackson, he’ll tell you, I’m the man

Winning the NBA’s MVP still won’t tell you how nice I am.

Coming with more hits than Floyd and Manny

I have So much flavor so I’ll pass on the Curry

When the wackest critics try to dis, it only makes me laugh

When I’m hittin’ 3’s it’s like dropping bombs from an aircraft

So the next time you (MVP) vote, you better keep it here

James Harden, cook and stir one time and keep your hand in the air.

We on award tour with James Harden my man

Going each and every place getting’ triple doubles like damn

Minnesota, Detroit, Utah (7)

We on award tour with James Harden my man

We got the number 2 seed in the West like damn

LA, Memphis, San Antonio, Dallas (8)

Footnotes

One of Hardens nicknames
Dwight Howard’s alter ego
Celebration after made basket
One game suspension for kicking LeBron James
One of Hardens nicknames – NBA TV Smitty’s Top 5 Under The Rim
Name for his step back jump shot
The teams Harden messed around a got a triple double against
The teams the Rockets finished ahead of in Western Conference

History behind Midnight Marauders and it’s link to the NBA:

This album has it’s own history with the NBA specifically with Michael Jordan and the Dream Team. Wikipedia provides the following:

The album artwork of Midnight Marauders was the source of inspiration for a collection of products released by the Air Jordan Brand that includes t-shirts and sneakers and was released February 2009. The sneakers, officially called Air Jordan I Retro High Strap, were often called Midnight Marauders Air Jordan I or A Tribe Called Quest Air Jordan I by customers and featured a design of red, green and black. Two of the t-shirt designs include a wing design and a design mimicking the album cover of Midnight Marauders.

It also served as inspiration for a t-shirt by Munich-based clothing company Beastin’, showing the members of the original 1992 Dream Team, as well as for other works of album artwork (such as the Talking Heads‘ 2004 compilation album The Best of Talking Heads).

Next: Who is Most Improved?

Houston Rockets: We On Award Tour With James Harden My Man

More from Space City Scoop

Schedule