By Barry Janoff
October 9, 2015: James Harden yesterday made good on his Foot Locker-driven "Play My Tweet" challenge, taking a series of shots attached to specific requests, then performing the requests on the shots he missed.
Among the missed-shot requests that he carried out were doing the "stanky leg" dance, taking a selfie with a camel, riding a tricycle while eating ice cream and wearing a clown nose, singing "I'm a Little Teapot," making a prank call to a teammate, recreating Michael Jackson's "moonwalk" move and getting a guy a car.
Among the more altruistic challenges that Harden did was to donate $50,000 to a the Salem (Va.) Veterans Affairs Hospital.
Harden, the NBA all-star point guard for the Houston Rockets, actually made some shots, so he didn't have to wear a chicken suit or put on pajamas.
One request he carried out, even though he made the shot, was to appear at a Houston school, which he did in a pre-taped spot with ESPN's Kenny Mayne, who was hosting the Foot Locker "Play My Tweet" challenge (and unsuccessfully trying to defend Harden).
Mayne ultimately had to participate in one request, in which he missed a series of shots going one-on-one with Harden and having a pile of cooked spaghetti dumped on his head.
The people whose requests were selected by Foot Locker were in attendance in a Houston gym, including the guy who tweeted Harden, "Buy me a car." When Harden missed, he and Mayne took the guy outside so he could claim his prize, which turned out to be a junker.
"I can't let him drive that," said a genuinely upset Harden. When told that the car cost about $900, Harden offered the guy cash instead of the clunker.
At Harden's request, no one asked him to shave off his trademark beard.
Harden appeared to be wearing adidas, with whom he recently signed a 13-year, $200 million deal, for the first time in a national campaign.
The challenge aired live via Foot Locker's YouTube channel and Twitter page.
"Foot Locker has had a great deal of fun teaming up with James Harden for past engaging games with fans. We're excited to take that engagement to the next level with the 'Play My Tweet' challenge," Stacy Cunningham, evp-marketing for Foot Locker, said in a statement. "Harden is an entertaining, talented NBA star and we're eager to see what fun requests he will fulfill on behalf of fans across the country."
According to Harden, "Working with Foot Locker gives me the opportunity to engage with fans in a creative and fun way. "I'm excited to see what the fans want me to do."
Unfortunately for him, some of his missed shots meant that his thoughts going into the challenge did not pan out. "I hope I won't be doing anything too embarrassing."
Foot Locker's lead agency is BBDO, NY.
Harden Takes On (Almost) All Challenges In Foot Locker's Twitter Campaign
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