Rapper Lil B might not be a household name at the level of Jay Z or Kanye West, but the Bay Area-born man also known as The Based God carries much power in NBA circles.
Which is why the following tweet and subsequent comment to TMZ are big deals.
Go warriors
@warriors and let James harden no he doing the Lil B cooking dance if he doing that flickin wrist or whipping he mark - Lil B
— Lil B From The Pack (@LILBTHEBASEDGOD)
May 21, 2015 And,
to TMZ: "If Harden doesn't tell what he is doing, which is the Lil B cooking dance, he will be cursed. He needs to stop stealing Lil B swag without showing love."
Lil B of course is referring to this dance from James Harden, which caught on late in the Houston Rockets' season, as well as the rapper's dance from his song "I Cook" (whose NSFW video we can't embed here):
But why is this a big deal? Because Lil B's curses work.
Just ask Kevin Durant.
Years ago the Oklahoma City Thunder star tweeted the following:
I tried to listen to Lil B and my mind wouldn't let me do it....can't believe this guy is relevant
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5)
January 29, 2011 Lil B was not pleased.
KEVIN DURANT WILL NEVER WIN THE TITLE AFTER HE SAID "LIL B" IS A WACK RAPPER,
"THE BASEDGODS CURSE"
#THEBASEDGODSCURSE ON DURANT - Lil B
— Lil B From The Pack (@LILBTHEBASEDGOD)
May 26, 2011 So far? One MVP, sure, but no titles, only one NBA Finals trip, and this season an injury that helped keep the Thunder almost incomprehensibly out of the playoffs.
See? PROOF.
Note: There's a LOT more to this story, including a diss track, a temporary lifting of the curse, a return of the curse, a proposed truce, taking credit for the injury, and much more. Grantland
broke it down last year -- warning, much NSFW language -- and Lil B
commented on the injury this season.
Now, TMZ says Lil B is giving Harden until after Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Golden State Warriors before the curse comes into effect ... although the consequences likely would have to be greater than losing to the Warriors, which is a probable outcome even without a curse.
(But that doesn't mean Lil B is wrong! Please don't curse us, Based God!)
UPDATE: It appears Lil B did not wait until Game 3 to make his presence felt.
Toward the end of Game 2, Harden had the chance to win, but
mishandled the play.
And then:
People that steal from Lil B will pay now or later all you have to do is pay respect to the original and the leader blind ones will - Lil B
— Lil B From The Pack (@LILBTHEBASEDGOD)
May 22, 2015 Lil B
clarified that this is just a warning, but ... point taken.
UPDATE PART II: And apparently it's a point well-taken by at least one NBA franchise. The Atlanta Hawks, one of four teams left standing in the playoffs, aren't taking any chances.
On Friday afternoon, their social media team pleaded mercy to the Based God:
Dear
@LILBTHEBASEDGOD:
We're not like the others. Please show mercy and spare us
#THEBASEDGODSCURSE. =O
Sincerely,
The Hawks
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks)
May 22, 2015 @ATLHawks I got love for the Hawks and Jeff Teague is a beast!! Hawks deserve great things and the city of Atlanta!!! - Lil B
— Lil B From The Pack (@LILBTHEBASEDGOD)
May 22, 2015 H/T
TMZ