James Harden leaves teammates in stitches after using own viral meme to promote his wine business

Ten-time All-Star James Harden recently had his LA Clippers teammates in stitches with a post made on Monday afternoon. Although he and the team have been eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, Harden has been keeping himself busy, finalizing a deal that will see his Harden brand wines added to 15,000 new 7-Eleven stores this summer.

The wine company is an endeavor that was launched by Harden in 2022. As the company's site indicates, Harden wanted to launch an affordable brand of wine that was easy to drink regardless of whether you're enjoying a night out, or relaxing at home.

The brand has three wines available for purchase, which are a Prosecco, a California Cabernet Sauvignon, and a California Red, all of which will be available at 7-Eleven stores this summer.

The Clippers guard announced the news on social media, sharing two photos. In the first, a bottle of the Prosecco Doc wine and a bottle of the California Cabernet Sauvignon can be seen in front of a 7-Eleven store.

The second pic, however, is what had the former MVP's teammates in stitches. After going viral over the weekend for his reaction when his girlfriend caught a bouquet at a wedding, James Harden used the image in his announcement.

Clippers teammates PJ Tucker and Norman Powell were quick to react in the comments.

"Second slide," commented Norman Powell with two laughing emojis.

Norman Powell and PJ Tucker react - Instagram

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James Harden talks about J-Harden Wines and his involvement in the brand

While some may believe that James Harden simply attached his name to a wine brand as a business opportunity, that doesn't appear to be the case. Since the company's inception, Harden has indicated that he has been hands-on from the beginning stages of the wine-making process, all the way through to the end.

As someone who wasn't a wine drinker until recently, Harden sees the brand as a natural evolution in his journey as a fan of wine. In addition to wanting to make quality wine affordable, he also wants to make a wine for those who may not consider themselves connoisseurs.

In an interview with Rolling Stone in March 2023, James Harden spoke about the importance of the brand for him.

"For me, I also want to promote J-HARDEN as a brand where you can go buy a bottle of wine and sit at home with your wife or your significant other and get that same type of feeling as other drinks," Harden said.

"I’m trying to open doors to make people who don’t feel comfortable drinking wine feel like they can order wine when they’re going to dinner. So it’s just about opening the doors for everybody."

With bottles priced under $20 and the brand set to hit 15,000 7-Eleven stores this summer, J Harden wines will soon be available to NBA fans and wine enthusiasts across America.