I don’t know Jenni Carlson.
Her bio says that she has worked at The Oklahoman since 1999. I am sure she is a fine journalist and very nice person, but she is also a little naive.
Here is what she had to say about how the Thunder should use James Harden’s partying was as a way to leverage him to stay in Oklahoma City.
Seriously, if this is how The Beard parties now, what can we expect after he signs what everyone expects will be a massive contract? And if he happens to sign that deal with a team in Los Angeles or New York or some other hot spot?
Oklahoma City can save Harden from himself.
But you have to wonder if The Beard Express has a chance of running off the rail. Earlier this summer, his account on Instagram, a picture-based social media website, had a photo of a note with some news.
“JUST FOUND OUT I GOT TRADED TO THE HORNETS,” it read. “I’LL MISS OKC.”
Not long after, the picture was deleted.
Turns out it was a hoax.
Hard to believe the Thunder was real happy that one of its potential franchise players is joking around about that.
Then again, that gold-and-black, tiger-print cowboy hat couldn’t have been a big hit either.
But I’m telling you, the Thunder could use this to its advantage. Harden clearly has some wild child in him, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but here’s where the Thunder can make OKC a huge positive. Sell Harden and his people on the fact that he shouldn’t live in party city with a bunch of money. Convince them that he can visit places like L.A. and Miami in the offseason but that he needs to spend most of his time in a place like Oklahoma City.
The main problem with Jenni’s plan is she seems to be under the impression that the type of partying that James Harden did at his white party doesn’t happen often.
It happens all the time. During the offseason, during the season and for some of the Oklahoma City Thunder players during the NBA Finals. The only difference is now people are snapping pictures and putting them on Instagram. You aren’t going to change a NBA player or any athlete’s party habits.
Doesn’t matter where they play they will be popping bottles and honestly the great players don’t let it effect them. From Jordan going to Atlantic City during playoffs to Lebron being the King of South Beach. If you are a good enough you will be fine. Harden doesn’t need to be saved from himself, he has to decide how good a player he wants to be, the location is irrelevant.
To single him out probably would alienate him more than make him want to resign.
I know Jenni lives in Oklahoma, but the John Stockton short shorts days are over. The players of 2012 and beyond play and party hard. This is the type of shortsighted thinking that gets media in trouble. It is an over the top reaction to something that is harmless.
Harden is young, single, famous with money to burn, what do you expect him to be doing in the summer time? There is no crime in looking like a skinny Rick Ross and it is insulting to make it seem like he has some sort of disease that needs to be treated.
You can’t sell James Harden on Thunder either he is going to stay or take the money somewhere else. He is still going to party like it is 1999, but it isn’t, it is 2012, so get over and stop making something out of nothing.