For most of the James Harden years, it felt like the Houston Rockets were the villains of the Western Conference (and really, the league in general). Led by Harden (“All he does is flop and shoot 3s”) and an unapologetic GM in Daryl Morey (“Call me when Moneyball wins something in the NBA Finals”), the Rockets were easy to dislike for other teams and their fanbases.
So you’ll know that I love how much the Memphis Grizzlies have embraced that identity. Ja Morant is going to dunk on top of you. Dillon Brooks is going to talk trash.