SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 20: James Harden #13 of the Houston Rockets looks on in the first half against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on February 20, 2020 in San Francisco, California. 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 Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)
James Harden has explained why he was wearing a Blue Lives Matter mask, but it’s about as strong
James Harden’s defense of being seen wearing a Blue Lives Matter mask is about as strong as his defense on the court.
A photo of the Houston Rockets star wearing the mask recently made the rounds on Twitter, which is the place you absolutely look for level-headed reactions. But the ire he drew from wearing what appears to be a Blue Lives Matter mask but has been dubbed a Blue Patriot mask, seemed warranted.
Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen relayed what Harden said to reporters about the incident, and it left a lot to be desired.
“James Harden said he wore the Blue Patriot mask because it ‘covered my whole beard.’ Said he ‘wasn’t trying to make a political statement,” Feigen reported.
A point guard is supposed to be the smartest player on the court, guiding the offense and being aware of what the best decision to make is at all times. Often, it’s called for that decisions need to be made in processed quickly and because of that, the highest-paid players at the position are some of the most intelligent players in the game.
That’s why it’s pretty baffling that Harden would not only make a bad decision but so shortsightedly half-bake a lame response.
We’ve increasingly seen that the NBA might not be as progressive a league as we all applauded it as being. Decisions like forcing the game to return in one of the states worst-ravaged by COVID-19 and doing so in the middle of a tremendous social justice movement have been sharply criticized. Other decisions like allowing players to wear protest slogans on their uniforms but not consulting players on what slogans they would want to use also smacks of the kind of emptiness we’ve come to expect from other leagues thought to be below the NBA in progressiveness.
Harden wearing a Blue Lives Matter mask and then sheepishly trying to explain it away isn’t what’s wrong with basketball right now, but it certainly seems to be part of a larger issue within the league. Perhaps it’s our fault for projecting such praise onto the league and assuming it was as aware of the world it exists in when it so clearly is a business first and everything else we thought it was second.