Last night at the premiere of DC's newest superhero movie, Aquaman, the film's star Jason Momoa broke out into dance, although not in the way most actors might. The dance, called the "Haka," is from New Zealand, just like Momoa's co-star Temuera Morrison, and is an intense affair with foot-stomping, chest-pounding and yelling. The dance had many original purposes in Maori culture, from intimidation to welcoming to tribute, but now it's most commonly associated with warriors preparing for battle because of how much the New Zealand All Blacks (the national rugby team) have popularized the dance.
You may also remember the dance from an unusual basketball game. During the FIBA Wolrd Cup in 2014, New Zealand's national team played against the US (a lopsided match-up, to say the least) and before the game they were destined to lose, the New Zealander's performed a Haka. Maybe the best thing about this was the look on the Americans' faces. Derrick Rose looks as inscrutable as always (giving Kawhi Leonard a run for his money) and James Harden looks utterly lost. Just look at the little "o" of his mouth. Aquaman comes out next week, until them enjoy some confused James Harden and Derrick Rose:
