One major wish I had for James Harden was for him to fit in. Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are already best buds, so with Harden coming in, he needed to crack the clique. Why I thought he wouldn’t, I’ll never know. 
But a good example of how these guys are bonding and/or bonded popped up in the form of some video game smack talk last night on Twitter. It started with Harden talking a little junk. “About to smack @kevindurant35 in madden then @russwest44 in 2k9.” Two different games, two different showdowns. I’m sure the stakes are high when these guys are playing. From what I hear, Westbrook can talk some pretty mean trash.
But evidently it didn’t go so well for Harden. Said Durant: “Jus smacked @jhard13 n madden…35-14…he’s a bum!!! @russwest44 is next.” Ouch. If they were playing the traditional five minute quarters, 35 points is a lot to give up. Who was Harden’s defensive coordinator, Bill Young? (I kid, I kid.)
But Russ didn’t fare too well against the buzzsaw that is Kevin Durant. “Jus beat @russwest44 in madden 21-zilch.” So Durant is 2-0 with wins against both. He’s given up just 14 points in two games and has outscored his opponents 49-14. I’d say he’s doing pretty good. He’s the clear favorite here. But there was a rematch and Westbrook got the best of KD. “Yoooo im soooo heated i lost to @russwest44…he playing @jhard13 now its 7-0, i got next.” Said Westbrook:“I CANT LOSEE IN ANY GAME……..ASK @kevindurant35 and @jhard13 im tooo nice.” Evidently Russ forgot about their first meeting…
What’s becoming clear is that Harden isn’t much of a gamer. Whooped by Durant, down early to Westbrook and even experiencing some football follies. ”@jhard13 jus tried to dive in the in zone and fumbled ahahahhahahahaha…hes terrible at every game..” So Harden wanted to take it somewhere else. “@jhard13 tryna get me and @russwest44 to play ufc fighting so he can win hahah..bum.“ So Harden is an MMA expert. But he had excuses. “lol im getting cheated in every game i play..@kevindurant35 and @russwest44 are both terrible in 2k9 and madden.”
Blake Griffin wasn’t buying that.“@jHARD13 stop lyin!”
I’d say these guys are getting along. It’s a whimsical anecdote and it’s not all that important, but how often do you hear about Kobe playing video games with teammates? Or LeBron? Or anyone else?
Chemistry is a big part of any sport – you’ve got to like the guy standing next to you. And sometimes that can be complicated when you’ve got a clear cut star (KD) and former stars on a college team (Harden, Jeff Green, Westbrook) now have to pass the spotlight and take a step back. It doesn’t destroy a team but it can create some tension and make it difficult to get along. I remember when I played, I had teammates I didn’t like. I bet some didn’t like me. But that doesn’t appear to be a problem in Oklahoma City.
CoD 5 on PC?!? what what what?!?! if so drop by the American Generals Clan CTF server and watch out for Dorkking :)
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Amen man i love rainbow six vegas 2. I wish more people played it still
It's a testament to today's day and age and how we communicate. Back when Kobe was still playing video games, there wasn't Twitter, or Myspace even. I'll be surprised if many text messages were even being sent back then. Today, however, a player can let the world know when he's using the bathroom if he wants. That being said, I think this young group will be deadly. I just hope they do not get split up. Another trait of today's league is how fast GMs and owners are willing to mix and match young guys in hopes of better, instant production.
Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is still my favorite.
Fallout 3
@f5alcon
9 years assumes he signs a 5 year max contract after his rookie year, but even then he'll put in an opt-out clause after 3 years or when his max % number increases (this is why all the 2003 guys will be FAs next year). So 5 years if he really wants out, 7 if he wants a max contract first, 9-10 if he plays everything out until regular FA.
well in 9 years blake griffin can be a thunder, assuming max contract after his rookie contract, The scary thing is even then durant will only be 30.
Well, Blake could always hope for the other side of the Clipper coin, wherein he is traded after injuries but turns into a star somewhere else. Or in 5 years he can be a free agent all on his own. That's probably just enough time for him to realize how meaningless being a great player on the Clippers really is, and make him miss home.
@MartzMimic
I've noticed Blake sends a lot of tweets in KD and Harden's directions. Kind of interesting point to think about. But then again he talks about eating with Deandre Jordan a lot too...
Did anyone else reading the tweets last night get the feeling Blake wishes he was there? I know he was only cleared to practice the other day, and maybe it's just his temperament, but it doesn't seem that he's having nearly as much fun as our guys.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
My best buddy and I made it to level 24 on the original. That's our all-time high. The new zombie level was really hard.
The Nazi Zombie campaign in Call of Duty World at War kept me addicted for weeks.
Gah! Now I really wanna go play.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
I used to be good, but not so much. I don't even own a gaming system anymore. But I will say, I am fairly accomplished at Call of Duty 4 and 5.
How much would you give to be the 4th wheel in that xbox tournament?
I'll be honest, I'm no good with the sports games, but I'd do my best to switch the genre to first person shooter and take 'em all DOWN!