Age, Biography and Wiki
James Harden was born in Bellflower, California, and grew up in Los Angeles. He rose to prominence during his high school years, leading Artesia High School to two state championships. Harden attended Arizona State University for college, where he played basketball for the Arizona Sun Devils. He was drafted third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 NBA draft. For more details, his Wikipedia page is available at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Harden.
| Occupation | Basketball Players |
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| Date of Birth | 26 August 1989 |
| Age | 35 Years |
| Birth Place | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Country | U.S |
Height, Weight & Measurements
Harden stands at a height of 6 feet 5 inches (196 cm) and weighs approximately 220 lbs (100 kg).
After missing the Rockets' next game with an illness and a strained neck, his return game on February 25 saw him score 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks, snapping his 32-game streak with at least 30. On March 19, he scored 31 points in a win against the Hawks and became the first player in NBA history to score 30 or more points against all 29 other teams in a single season. On March 20, he scored 57 points in a 126–125 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, marking his seventh 50-point game of the season. Two days later, he matched his career high with 61 points, including 27 in the first quarter, to lead the Rockets to a 111–105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. For these performances, he received his fourth Western Conference Player of the Week honor of the 2018–19 season.
On March 15, Harden registered his tenth triple-double as a Net with 21 points, 15 assists and 15 rebounds in a 117–112 victory against the New York Knicks, becoming the first player in franchise history to log at least 15 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game. On March 17, Harden posted a season-high 40 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in a 124–115 win over the Indiana Pacers, joining Carter as the only Nets players with a 40-point triple-double. He also became the fourth player in NBA history with 100 40-point games and became second all-time in 40-point triple-doubles with 16, behind only Oscar Robertson who had 24. In his efforts, Harden's first two points of the game give him 21,815 points in his career, moving him past Gary Payton into 33rd overall in the league's all-time scoring list while his fourth assist of the first quarter was the 5,637th of his career, moving him past Chauncey Billups into 45th place in the NBA's all-time assist leader. On March 26, Harden, who missed a game against the Utah Jazz due to neck soreness, returned to the Nets and logged a season-high 44 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists in a 113–111 win over the Detroit Pistons.
| Height | 6 feet 5 inches |
| Weight | 220 lbs |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Harden is known to keep his personal life private, but he has been linked to several high-profile celebrities over the years. However, current information on his relationship status is not widely available.
He is the youngest of three children. Before his birth, after that of his older sister, their mother suffered a string of miscarriages. Harden is a Christian. He has talked about his faith, saying, "I just want to thank God for everything he has done in my life". Harden started growing his trademark beard in 2009 after being too lazy to shave. His beard has appeared in songs and T-shirts, and it earned him an endorsement and a unique candy with Trolli's where a depiction of his face and beard was shown on each gummy.
On October 4, 2019, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey issued a tweet that supported the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. Morey's tweet resulted in the Chinese Basketball Association's suspension of its relationship with the Houston Rockets. Harden later apologized to China, saying, "We apologize. We love China."
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, James Harden's net worth is estimated at $165 million, primarily amassed through his successful NBA career and numerous endorsement deals. He signed a two-year, $70 million contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in July 2025, averaging $35 million annually. Harden's annual salary exceeds $35 million, with additional earnings from endorsements like Adidas, State Farm, and Trolli.
Harden played college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils, where he was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009. Harden was selected with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 2012, he was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year and helped Oklahoma City reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat in five games. After the Thunder refused to offer him a max contract extension, Harden was unwilling to take a pay cut and was subsequently traded to the Houston Rockets before the 2012–13 season.
Career, Business and Investments
Harden's career has been marked by numerous achievements, including being a 10-time NBA All-Star, MVP in 2018, and a three-time NBA scoring champion. He has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and currently the LA Clippers. Harden has diversified his investments by becoming a partial owner of the Houston Dynamo (MLS) and Houston Dash (NWSL) in 2019. He also invests in real estate.
In his first season with the Rockets, Harden set or matched several team records and was named to his first All-NBA Team (a third-team selection), as well as his first NBA All-Star team. Over the next seven full seasons with Houston, Harden led the league in scoring three times and assists once, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in while leading the Rockets to the Western Conference Finals. He was also named to seven consecutive NBA All-Star teams and earned All-NBA First Team honors six times. After requesting a trade at the beginning of the 2020–21 season, Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a four-team trade. With Brooklyn, he was named to his ninth and tenth consecutive All-Star games before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers at the 2022 trade deadline. In 2023, Harden led the league in assists for the second time in his career. He was traded to the Clippers at the start of the 2023–24 season and was named to his 11th All-Star Game in 2025.
After his freshman year, Harden was named first-team All-Pac-10 and was named to the conference all-freshman team. He was also named first team All-District by the NABC and the USBWA. Entering his sophomore year, Harden appeared on many pre-season All-American lists and on the cover of the Sports Illustrated college basketball preview issue. He was named to the Wooden Award preseason watch list. On November 30, 2008, Harden scored a career-high 40 points in an 88–58 victory over UTEP.
Harden finished his sophomore campaign with averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He was named to the 2009 All-Pac 10 Tournament Team following Arizona State's defeat by USC at the Staples Center. Following the conference season, Harden was named the Pacific-10 Conference's Player of the Year. He was also named a consensus All-American. After the conclusion of the season (a second-round NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse), Harden declared for the 2009 NBA draft. He employed Rob Pelinka as his agent.
Harden had one of the greatest statistical seasons in team history in his first campaign with Houston. He became just the fifth player in team history to reach 2,000 points in one campaign (2,023 points). He surpassed Moses Malone's team mark for free throws made in a season (630 FTM in 1981–82), joining Malone as the only two Rockets players to ever reach 600 free throws made in a single season. Harden joined Gilbert Arenas (2005–06 and 2006–07), Kobe Bryant (2005–06 and 2007–08) and Jerry Stackhouse (2000–01) as the only four players in NBA history to record at least 600 free throws made and hit 150 or more 3-pointers in one season. Harden joined Tracy McGrady (four times in 2004–05) and Hakeem Olajuwon (three times in 1992–93) as the only Rockets to ever capture Player of the Week honors three or more times in one season. He was named to the 2012–13 All-NBA Third Team, marking his first career All-NBA Team selection while becoming just the seventh player in Rockets history to earn All-NBA recognition.
Harden was selected by the head coaches as a reserve for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, which marked his second consecutive All-Star selection. He was later named as a replacement starter for the All-Star Game. He was the first Rockets player ever to pick up Western Conference Player of the Week honors in consecutive weeks in the same season (February 24 – March 2; March 3–9). On December 26, 2013, against the Memphis Grizzlies, Harden became the first player in NBA history to register at least 27 points on two or fewer field goals made (2–9 FG), finishing with a career best 22-of-25 from the stripe and tying the Rockets single-game record for free throws made (22–27 FT by Sleepy Floyd in February 1991). On February 5, 2014, against the Phoenix Suns, Harden became just the third player to score at least 3,000 points in his first 120 games played with the Rockets, joining Elvin Hayes (3,320) and Tracy McGrady (3,056). On February 25, 2014, he scored a season-high 43 points in a 129–103 win over the Sacramento Kings. At the season's end, he earned All-NBA First Team honors.
In Game 5 of the Rockets' second round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. McHale benched Harden in the 4th quarter when the Rockets came back to win Game 6 against the Clippers. In Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors, Harden scored a playoff career-high 45 points. In Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, Harden had a forgettable finale, with a playoff-record 13 turnovers and 14 points on 2-of-11 shooting.
On January 20, Harden became the first player to have at least 33 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists in a game since Wilt Chamberlain had 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists for Philadelphia in March 1968. Harden finished March with 457 points, 152 assists and 102 rebounds, becoming the first player to record at least 450 points, 150 assists and 100 rebounds in a single month since Oscar Robertson did it in December 1967. Harden finished the 2015–16 season with 374 turnovers, beating Artis Gilmore's mark of 366 in 1977–78, the first season the NBA recorded turnovers. Harden set career marks in points (29), assists (7.5) and rebounds (6.1) to join LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a season.
On July 9, 2016, Harden signed a four-year, $118.1 million contract extension with the Rockets. In September 2016, new Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni announced that Harden would take on the point guard role to begin the 2016–17 season. In the Rockets' season opener on October 26, Harden had 34 points, a career-high 17 assists, and eight rebounds in a 120–114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming just the second player in NBA history to record at least 30 points and 15 assists in an opener; Tim Hardaway had 32 and 18 for the Golden State Warriors in 1990.
On December 14, he recorded 15 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings, the 14th triple double of his career, tying him with Hakeem Olajuwon for most in franchise history. He set the franchise record two days later in the Rockets' 122–110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Harden helped the team set an NBA-record with 24 three-pointers, as he finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. On December 23, he tied a career high with 17 assists in a 115–109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.
On December 31, 2016, Harden recorded another triple-double with 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds in a 129–122 win over the New York Knicks, becoming the first player in NBA history to finish with a 50–15–15 stat line. He tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most points in a triple-double in NBA history—Chamberlain pulled the feat during the 1967–68 season, with 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists. Harden set career highs for points and three-pointers (with nine) and matched his career best for assists. It was his 17th career triple-double and his fourth career 50-point game.
Two days later, he recorded his ninth triple-double of the season in a win over the Washington Wizards and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for a third time. It was Harden's 12th Player of the Week honor, matching Hakeem Olajuwon for the most Player of the Week awards in franchise history. Harden's career-best December run earned him Western Conference Player of the Month honors.
In Game 5 of the Rockets' second round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, Harden recorded his second career postseason triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 110–107 overtime loss; the loss saw the Rockets go down 3–2 in the series. The Rockets were eliminated by the Spurs with a 114–75 loss in Game 6. Harden tied his season low of 10 points, shooting 2-of-11 before fouling out with 3:15 remaining.
On July 8, 2017, Harden signed a four-year contract extension with the Rockets for approximately $160 million, giving him a total six-year deal with $228 million guaranteed—the richest contract in NBA history. On November 5, he scored a career-high 56 points in a 137–110 win over the Utah Jazz, falling just shy of Calvin Murphy's 57-point franchise record set in 1978. Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to have at least 10 assists and shoot better than 75 percent from the field in a 50-point performance. He went on to become the first player in team history to score at least 20 points in each of the team's first 20 games of a season. Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in October and November, marking the fifth time Harden has received the honor, all coming as a Rocket. On December 9, he scored 48 points against the Portland Trail Blazers to become only the second player to score at least 20 points in each of the first 24 games since the 1990–91 season.
On January 30, in a 114–107 win over the Orlando Magic, Harden became the first player in NBA history to score 60 points as part of a triple-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and 11 assists for his third triple-double of the season. Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to eclipse the 57 points Calvin Murphy scored in 1978 to break Houston's single-game scoring record. It was his fourth 50-point game of the season and bested his previous career high of 56 points set in November against Utah. On March 25, he helped the Rockets reach 60 wins in a season for the first time in franchise history, recording a triple-double (fourth of season, 35th of career) with 18 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in three quarters in a 118–99 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets finished the regular season as the No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history, with a franchise-best 65–17 record. Harden won his first scoring title, averaging 30.4 points per game, second in franchise history to Malone's 31.1 in 1981–82.
In Game 1 of the Rockets' first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Harden scored 44 points in a 104–101 win. In Game 1 of their second-round series against the Jazz, Harden scored 41 points in a 110–96 win. It was his sixth 40-point playoff game of his career. In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Harden scored 41 points in a 119–106 loss to the Golden State Warriors. In Game 4 against the Warriors, Harden scored a game-high 30 points to help the Rockets even the series at 2–2 with a 95–92 win. In Game 6, he recorded 32 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in a 115–86 loss.
On January 23, Harden scored a career-high 61 points to go with 15 rebounds in a 114–110 win over the New York Knicks, thus setting the fourth-longest streak for 30-point games in NBA history at 21—at the time, Wilt Chamberlain held the three longer streaks (65, 31 and 25). With 43 points against the Utah Jazz on February 2, Harden set the third-longest streak in NBA history for games with 30-plus points. On February 21, in the Rockets' first game after the All-Star break, Harden scored 30 points against the Los Angeles Lakers for his 32nd consecutive game with 30-plus points surpassing Chamberlain's for the second-longest streak in league history.
On March 31, Harden had 50 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 119–108 win over the Sacramento Kings to record his ninth 50-point game of the regular season. It was his fifth career 50-point triple-double, the most of any player in NBA history. He also became the ninth player in NBA history to make 2,000 3-pointers in their career. After a 135–103 victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 3, he became the third person in NBA history to record 2,700+ points and 500+ assists in a single season.
Harden led the Rockets to a Game 2 win against the Utah Jazz with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists—his third career triple-double during the postseason—to give the Rockets a 2–0 series lead in the first round. In Game 3 against the Jazz, he had one of the worst shooting nights of his career when he started the game 0-of-15, a figure breaking the NBA playoff record for most missed consecutive shots without a make in a game since Michael Jordan went 0-of-11 in an 87–80 loss against the Miami Heat in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals. However, he finished the game with 22 points on 3-of-20 shooting, 10 assists, six steals, and four rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 104–101 win, putting the series at 3–0. The Rockets went on to lose 4–2 to the Warriors in the conference semifinals. At the season's end, he was unanimously selected to his fifth All-NBA First Team, and he was announced a finalist for the MVP award.
After a disappointing start to the season shooting 28.6% from the field and 15% from the three-point line in the first three games, Harden scored 59 points on 18–32 shooting from the field, along with nine assists in a 159–158 win against the Washington Wizards on October 30, 2019—two points away from his career-high. With this game, Harden extended a streak of having a 50-point game in 6 straight seasons, the 2nd-longest streak in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain (10 straight seasons, 1959–69). On November 11, 2019, he was named the Western Conference's Player of the Week after the Rockets went 3–0, Harden recording a double-double in each game and averaging 40.7 points, scoring 22 3-pointers on 43.1% shooting; 9.3 assists; 8.0 rebounds; 2.33 steals; and 1.33 blocks.
Harden has scored a total of 334 points in 318 minutes of play this season, the highest total through the first nine games of a season since Michael Jordan scored 337 in 1988–89. Harden, at this point in the season, hit 39 3-pointers, marking the fourth-highest total through the first nine games of a season and the most by a player besides Stephen Curry. On November 30, 2019, in a 158–111 blowout win against the Atlanta Hawks, Harden got his fourth career 60-point game—tied for third-most with Michael Jordan—with a season-high 60 points along with 8 assists in 31 minutes. With this game, Harden joins Klay Thompson and Kobe Bryant as the only players to hit 60 points in just three quarters. His 24 shot attempts are the fewest ever in a 60-point game in NBA history.
On December 11, 2019, Harden got his fourth 50-point game of the season with 55 points on an efficient 20-of-34 field goal shooting and 10-of-18 from three in a 116–110 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He became the fourth player in NBA history with multiple games of 10 or more 3-pointers, joining Stephen Curry (15), Klay Thompson (5), and J.R. Smith (3). He continued his scoring rampage in the following 130–107 win against the Orlando Magic on December 13, 2019, where he got his second 50-point game in a row—the third time in his career where he has scored back-to-back 50-point games —with 54 points on 19-of-31 field goal shooting and 10-of-15 from three, in addition to seven assists, and five rebounds. In this game, Harden became the second player in NBA history to score 10+ 3PM in consecutive games, joining Stephen Curry, who did this in February 2016, and he also passed Paul Pierce for eighth in the all-time career three-pointers made list.
He also became the first player in NBA history to have 50+ points and 10+ 3PM in back-to-back games. Before those last two performances, only three times had a player attempted seven or less free throws while scoring 54 or more points in a game; Harden did it twice that week. On December 21, 2019, Harden passed Elgin Baylor for most 40-point games in NBA history with 40 points a 139–125 win against the Phoenix Suns. He became the Western Conference player of the month for December for his historical and efficient scoring tear during the month. He finished the decade as the NBA's leading scorer with 19,578 points going back to January 1, 2010, despite beginning his career as a sixth man with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
During the off-season, general manager Morey and head coach D'Antoni left the Rockets. Harden demanded a trade in November 2020, and reported to training camp late. On December 26, he put up a season-high 44 points and tied a career-high 17 assists in a 128–126 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
On February 10, 2022, the Nets traded Harden and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round selections. Harden switched to No. 1 from the No. 13 he had worn through his entire professional career up to that point, as No. 13 was retired by the 76ers for Wilt Chamberlain. On February 25, Harden made his Sixers debut, putting up 27 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds in a 133–102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the following game on February 27, Harden logged his 68th career triple-double and first as a 76er with a season-high 16 assists to go with his 29 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in a 125–109 win against the New York Knicks. He became the first player in NBA history to record 25 plus points and 10 or more assists in his first two games with a new team. On March 10, in a game against the Nets, Harden made his 2,561st career three-pointer to pass Reggie Miller (2,560) for third place in total NBA career three-pointers made, behind Ray Allen and Stephen Curry.
On July 27, 2022, Harden re-signed with the 76ers on a two-year, $68.6 million deal which includes a player option for the 2023–24 season. On December 9, Harden scored 28 points and delivered 12 assists in a 134–133 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history with 23,000 career points and 6,500 career assists. On December 23, Harden put up a triple-double with 20 points, 21 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 119–114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in Sixers history to put up a 20-assist triple-double and his 21 assists tied Chamberlain and Maurice Cheeks for the most assists in a game in Sixers history. On February 23, Harden posted 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 110–105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
He passed Allen Iverson for No. 26 on the league's all-time scoring list. On March 6, Harden recorded his second 20-assist game of his career with a near triple-double, recording 14 points and nine rebounds to go along with the 20 assists in a victory over the Indiana Pacers. It was also the second time during the season where Joel Embiid recorded 40+ points to go along with Harden's 20+ assists, marking it the first time in NBA history being done by a pair of teammates multiple times in the same season. On April 9, Harden ended the regular season as the league leader in assists, averaging 10.7 assists per game. He also joined Joel Embiid as the first pair of teammates to lead the NBA in scoring and assists in a season since George Gervin and Johnny Moore did so in the 1981–82 season.
In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Harden tied a playoff career high 45 points in a 119–115 victory against the Boston Celtics. He hit a go-ahead three-pointer in the final seconds of the fourth in a game heavily favored towards Boston due to an injury to Joel Embiid. In Game 4, Harden put up 42 points, eight rebounds, nine assists, four steals, one block, and a game-winning three-pointer in a 116–115 overtime win. He also joined Jerry West, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant as the only guards in NBA history to put up at least 10 40-point playoff games. The 76ers eventually lost the series to the Celtics in seven games.
Harden made his Clippers debut on November 6 against the New York Knicks, finishing with 17 points and six assists in 31 minutes as the Clippers lost 111–97. On November 17, Harden put up 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and a game-winning three-pointer in a 106–100 win over the Houston Rockets. On December 14, Harden posted 28 points, 15 assists, seven rebounds and four blocks in a 121–113 win over the Golden State Warriors. He became the 24th player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points. On December 18, Harden scored 21 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, and dished out nine assists on 12-of-16 shooting, 8-of-11 from three, 3-of-3 from the free throw line in a 151–127 win over the Indiana Pacers.
On January 26, 2024, Harden recorded his 75th career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 127–107 win over the Toronto Raptors. On February 2, Harden and Russell Westbrook became the third pair of 25,000-point scorers to play together in NBA history in a 136–125 win over the Detroit Pistons. They joined LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony for the 2021–22 Lakers and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for the 2013–14 Nets. On March 17, Harden passed Vince Carter for the 20th place on the league's all-time scoring list. On April 4, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Harden became the fourth player in NBA history to achieve at least 25,000 career points, 7,000 career assists, and 6,000 career rebounds, joining LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook.
On November 2, 2024, Harden recorded his 78th career triple-double, tying Wilt Chamberlain for seventh in NBA history, as he finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 125–119 loss against the Phoenix Suns. He also became the 20th player in NBA history to reach 26,000 points in his career. On November 15, Harden tied Ray Allen's record of second place in total NBA career three-pointers made, behind Stephen Curry, in a 125–104 loss against his former team the Houston Rockets. On November 17, Harden broke a tie with Ray Allen to solely secure second place in total NBA career three-pointers made, behind Stephen Curry, in a game against the Utah Jazz. On November 27, Harden put up 43 points in a 121–96 win over the Washington Wizards. It was his 100th career 40-point game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant as the only players in NBA history with at least 100 40-point games. On December 1, Harden posted a near triple-double with 39 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists in a 126–122 win over the Denver Nuggets. He also scored his 3,000th career three-pointer, joining Curry as the only players to reach the milestone.
On January 30, 2025, Harden was named as reserve for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, his eleventh selection. On February 20, Harden had 24 points, five rebounds and eight assists in a 116–110 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks. He became the 13th player in NBA history to score 27,000 career points. On March 5, Harden posted his first 50-point game since 2019 in a 123–115 win over the Detroit Pistons. On April 11, Harden logged his 80th career triple-double with 23 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in 101–100 win over the Sacramento Kings. On April 13, Harden recorded 39 points, seven rebounds, 10 assists, two steals and two blocks in a 124–119 overtime win over the Golden State Warriors in the regular-season finale to clinch the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference. He scored 12 of the Clippers' 13 overtime points.
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches tall (1.96 m) in shoes and weighing 220 pounds (100 kg), Harden plays mostly at the shooting guard position, but he is capable of playing the point guard position. He is the highest all-time left-handed scorer in NBA history. With season averages of over 25 points per game from the 2012–13 season to the 2019-2020 season, Harden is considered one of the most versatile and dangerous scorers in the NBA. ESPN named him the 5th best shooter in the NBA throughout the entire 2010s decade. He possesses a wide array of offensive moves; two of the most prominent among them being his Euro step and his step-back jumper.
Since his trade to the Houston Rockets in the 2012–13 NBA season, he has scored the most points in the NBA. He is the all-time NBA leader in unassisted three-point makes. He has also gained notoriety for his ability to exploit league rules in order to more efficiently draw fouls and get to the free throw line, from which he is a career 85.7% shooter. He is the all-time leader in 3-point shooting fouls drawn, and he led the NBA in free throw attempts and makes every year from the 2014–15 season until the 2019–20 season. Though primarily a scorer, Harden is also known for his playmaking ability, orchestrating the Rockets' offense with his elevated assist numbers. During the early portion of the 2016–17 season, Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni played Harden at point guard, which resulted in him averaging over 10 assists per game for the first time in his career. He is also the all-time franchise leader in assists for the Rockets.
On August 3, 2015, the sports apparel company Adidas submitted an endorsement deal to Harden worth $200 million over the next 13 years. On July 18, 2019, Harden became a part owner in Houston's professional soccer teams; the Houston Dynamo of MLS and the Houston Dash of NWSL. Harden explained his decision by saying "Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time" as well as "This is my city and I'm here to stay".
Social Network
While Harden is active on social media platforms, his personal life and interactions are not extensively shared publicly.
That same day, he became the first-ever NBA player to score 37 or more points while registering a double-digit assist total in his team debut, posting 37 points, a career-high 12 assists, six rebounds, four steals and one block in a 105–96 win over the Detroit Pistons. He became just the fourth NBA player in the last 25 years to post those totals in a single game and matched the third-highest point total for any NBA player in his team debut (most for Rockets debut). Two days later, he scored 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks. His 82 total points were the most scored by a player in his first two games with a team in NBA history, surpassing the previous mark held by Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 79 points in his first two career games with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959. He registered the first triple-double of his career on February 2, 2013, against the Charlotte Bobcats, recording 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Harden was named as a reserve for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, marking his first All-Star selection. He recorded 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in a 143–138 win by the West over the East. On February 20, 2013, Harden scored a career-high 46 points in a 122–119 win over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Near the end of 2020, Harden requested a trade to the Brooklyn Nets, intending to form a superteam with former teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. On January 14, 2021, Harden was traded to the Nets in a four-team deal which involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, sending Rodions Kurucs, Dante Exum, Victor Oladipo, four first-round draft picks and four first-round pick swaps to the Rockets. On January 16, he recorded 32 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists in a 122–115 win over the Orlando Magic, becoming the first player in franchise history and the seventh player in NBA history to log a triple-double in their team debut. Harden also set the record for being the first player in NBA history to post a 30-point triple-double debut performance, while also setting a franchise record for the most assists in a player's first game with the Nets.
On March 1, Harden logged his seventh career triple-double as a Net with 30 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds in a 124–113 overtime victory against the San Antonio Spurs, giving the franchise their first win in San Antonio in 19 years. In his efforts, Harden became the first player in league history to post a 30–15–10 stat line with zero turnovers in a game since individual turnovers were first tracked during the 1977–78 season. The following day, Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of February. The honor was the eleventh of his career and first as a Net, making him the first Net to win the award since Vince Carter in April 2007. Harden led the franchise to an Eastern Conference-best 9–4 record in February, recording averages of 25.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, an Eastern Conference-leading 10.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 36.8 minutes per game. On March 13, Harden logged his ninth triple-double as a Net with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 100–95 win against the Detroit Pistons, surpassing Larry Bird on the league's all-time scoring list. He now sits at 34th overall with 21,792 points, one more point than Bird.
On July 17, 2020, Harden was widely criticized and mocked online for wearing a pro-police mask, which has been said to be related to white supremacy and the Blue Lives Matter movement. Atlanta rapper Young Thug stated on Twitter that "he don't have internet" in defense of Harden, and indicated that he had not been aware of the controversy. The interaction became a widely shared internet meme among social media users, specifically in online rap and NBA groups.
Education
Harden attended Artesia High School, where he began his basketball career, earning McDonald's All-American honors. He then attended Arizona State University, playing college basketball for the Sun Devils.
In summary, James Harden is a basketball legend with a substantial net worth, a successful career, and a diverse range of business interests. His achievements on and off the court have cemented his status as one of the most successful and highest-paid players in the NBA.
Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California. In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.2 points as Artesia went 28–5. He improved his stats to 18.8 points, 7.7 boards and 3.5 assists in his junior season and led Artesia to the California state title and a 33–1 record. Artesia repeated as state champions in Harden's final year after going 33–2. Harden had similar stats during the previous season: 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He was named a McDonald's All-American, and also earned second-team Parade All-American honors.
