In memory of Wesley Johnson’s ankles

Above photo: James Harden (right) disrespected Wesley Johnson with a stepback three-pointer that will go down in history as the dirtiest crossover in the social media era. Courtesy of Alexandra Walt

By Jeffrey Waitkevich

It was on that fateful night, Feb. 28, that James Harden became the owner of Wes Johnson’s ankles.

It started with a noble goal. Johnson, a wing player for the Los Angeles Clippers, simply wanted to stop Houston Rockets star Harden from scoring as the Clippers were already down 28-7.

Not only did Johnson fail, but he lost his dignity, his ankles became a permanent fixture in the floor and he became the most disrespected man in America.

Crossovers that send defenders to the floor happen all the time, so only the best are remembered.

While the “ankle-breakers” of old are impressive and often disrespectful, topping this one will be near impossible.

It is rumored that horologists and historians are discussing changing Feb. 28 to the new A.D. – after disrespect – in honor of the most disrespectful crossover since Allen Iverson stepped over Tyronn Lue in the 2001 NBA Finals.

Let’s break it down.

The play began with Johnson facing the daunting task of guarding Harden in isolation – a challenge only given to the most unfortunate of mortals.

Harden began to drive to his left, which is his dominant side. Johnson followed closely.

Then, Harden changed his mind.

With the sound of a record scratch, he stepped back with the power of God, opening a portal to an alternate universe where Johnson was doomed to become part of the Staples Center floor forever.

Johnson was relegated to a world where all fours and both cheeks were bound to the ground at all times.

And Harden just stood there and waited, staring at his handiwork.

He waited and waited and waited and waited until what felt like long enough to watch the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy in its entirety when Johnson so courageously (or perhaps so foolishly) stood back up.

Then Harden pulled the trigger – taking the shot that would ultimately seal his opponent’s fate until the end of time.

As the ball swished through the nylon, angels could be heard calling for Johnson’s soul.

Or perhaps it was just the cacophony of barbaric oh’s from the crowd.

Houston’s bench reaction was subpar, which is surprising since they almost fought the entire Clippers organization in January, but it didn’t take away from the moment. They were merely stunned as they just witnessed the dirtiest possible way to take a 31-7 lead.

And all Johnson could do was laugh.

He’s a 30-year-old man who has a family, so his only other option would have been to immediately retire – ending a lackluster career for the former fourth overall draft pick.

After the game, Harden was asked why he so heartlessly stared at his fallen opponent. His response, after a quick chuckle, was “I was trying to figure out what he was doing.”

The answer? Acquiring a fresh pair of ankles that had been rendered useless for all of eternity.

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Written by: Jeffrey Waitkevich on March 5, 2018.
Last revised by: Emily Wunderlich