Tag: bodyarmor

Report: James Harden closely studying ‘The Last Dance’ film

“I am a competitor, and I want to see what those dudes were going through,” Harden said of Michael Jordan and the 1990s Chicago Bulls.

Houston Rockets superstar James Harden is slowly dissecting ESPN’s “The Last Dance” documentary on six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan, and the 1990s Chicago Bulls, according to a new report.

After speaking with the eight-time NBA All-Star and the league’s 2017-18 MVP, here’s how CNBC’s Jabari Young assessed it:

The Houston Rockets guard told CNBC Wednesday that he’s halfway through ESPN’s documentary “The Last Dance,” which details the last championship run of the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls during the 1997-98 season. Harden said he’s slowly dissecting the documentary, analyzing Jordan’s competitiveness as he awaits the NBA’s return.

“I just can’t watch it to watch it,” Harden said. “I want to see the ins and out and everything because at the end of the day, I am a competitor and I want to see what those dudes were going through.”

Harden, who told Young he was staying in shape during the NBA’s current COVID-19 hiatus “by doing a lot of cardio” work, said he was also intrigued with the business angles shown in “The Last Dance.”

“Players and coaches go through a lot to that probably won’t be shown in the public eye, but we have to deal with it and it’s effective,” said Harden, who has led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive seasons.

To his business point, Harden is starring in a new $20-million ad campaign for sports drink company BODYARMOR, which he’s a stakeholder in.

Entitled “Only you can make you better,” the 30-year-old Harden stars in the new commercial alongside six fellow BODYARMOR athlete partners, including Major League Baseball MVP Mike Trout.

Harden is dedicating the ad campaign to late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, whom Harden refers to as “his big brother.” Young explains:

A Los Angeles native, Harden dedicated the campaign to Bryant, whose initial $6 million investment in Bodyarmor was last valued at $200 million. Harden called Bryant “his big brother,” crediting him for motivating him to start investing.

“We’re all doing it for Kobe, a legend who put all his heart, all his passion into the company,” Harden said. “Only you can push you to the limit that you’ve never been. Nobody else can force you to make you want to be better, and that’s the kind of approach, the kind of mindset I have.”

With a voiceover by Michael B. Jordan, the ad’s narration reads: “We all want to win championships. We all want to be the best. We all want it to be our time. But the difference between imagining the future and being the future is what you do to get there. Only you can make you better.”

With Harden as its lead, the commercial will make its national television debut on Sunday, May 24 during TBS and TNT’s The Match featuring superstar golfers Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. They’ll be joined in a team format by NFL legends Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.

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