James Harden is a top scorer and shooting guard in NBA history. He played for Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets before joining the Brooklyn Nets and later the Philadelphia 76ers. Harden has been named NBA Most Valuable Player and has won gold medals with the United States national team.
James Harden was born on August 26, 1989 in Los Angeles, California. He is a professional basketball player currently playing as a Shooting Guard for the LA Clippers.
In 2006, James Harden helped his AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite, win the Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship, showcasing his talent and leadership on the court.
On February 11, 2007, James Harden started playing for the Sun Devils team.
In 2007, James Harden started playing basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils team at the University of Arizona.
On October 3, 2008, James Harden was associated with the Arizona State Sun Devils.
In 2009, James Harden was named the Consensus All-American Player of the Year while playing for Arizona State Sun Devils in the Pac-10 conference.
On July 20, 2012, James Harden was part of his national team.
After failing to agree on a contract extension with the Thunder, James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets along with other players in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and draft picks.
On October 30, 2012, James Harden made his debut with the Houston Rockets, a significant moment in his NBA career.
In his team debut with the Houston Rockets, James Harden became the first-ever NBA player to score 37 or more points while registering a double-digit assist total. He posted 37 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, four steals, and one block in a win over the Detroit Pistons.
Just two days after his impressive debut, James Harden scored 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks, making his total 82 points in his first two games with the Houston Rockets, setting a new NBA record.
James Harden achieved his first career triple-double against the Charlotte Bobcats, recording 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.
James Harden scored a career-high 46 points in a game against his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In October 2013, James Harden was chosen to represent his national team at the Olympic Games held in London.
By August 26, 2014, James Harden made a move to join the Houston Rockets after previously being part of the Oklahoma City Thunder team.
James Harden celebrated the victory of his national team winning the Basketball World Cup.
On October 26, 2014, James Harden suffered a knee injury during a match against the Memphis Grizzlies. The injury occurred to his knee during the game.
James Harden was voted the inaugural National Basketball Players Association's MVP for the 2014–15 season.
On July 9, 2016, James Harden signed a four-year, $118.1 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets.
On October 26, 2016, James Harden had 34 points, 17 assists, and eight rebounds in the Rockets' season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers, making history as the second player in NBA history to achieve at least 30 points and 15 assists in an opener.
On December 14, 2016, James Harden recorded his 14th career triple-double, tying him with Hakeem Olajuwon for the most in franchise history.
Two days later, on December 16, 2016, James Harden set the franchise record for three-pointers in a game as the Rockets made an NBA-record 24 three-pointers.
On December 31, 2016, James Harden recorded a remarkable triple-double with 53 points, 17 assists, and 16 rebounds, becoming the first player in NBA history to achieve a 50–15–15 stat line.
On January 27, 2017, James Harden recorded his 14th triple-double of the season with 51 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists, becoming the first player in NBA history with multiple 50-point triple-doubles in a season.
On February 3, 2017, James Harden scored his 10,000th point as a Houston Rocket, passing Yao Ming for sixth place in franchise history.
Between March 12 and 18, 2017, James Harden achieved four straight triple-doubles, totaling 22 for the season and becoming the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season with over 2,000 points, 900 assists, and 600 rebounds.
On July 8, 2017, James Harden signed a four-year contract extension with the Houston Rockets worth approximately $160 million, making it the richest contract in NBA history at that time.
On November 5, 2017, James Harden scored a career-high 56 points in a game against the Utah Jazz, just falling short of the franchise record set by Calvin Murphy in 1978.
On December 20, 2017, James Harden scored 51 points but the Houston Rockets were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers, ending their 14-game winning streak.
On January 30, 2018, James Harden made NBA history by becoming the first player to score 60 points in a triple-double, with 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a game against the Orlando Magic.
On January 11, James Harden scored 43 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading the Rockets to a 141–113 victory. He extended his NBA record of consecutive games with at least five 3-pointers to 12 and surpassed Malone's franchise record for 40-point games.
James Harden scored a career-high 61 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 114–110 win over the New York Knicks on January 23. This performance also marked his 21st consecutive game with at least 30 points, placing him in the NBA history books.
On March 19, James Harden scored 31 points against the Atlanta Hawks, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 30 or more points against all 29 other teams in a single season. This achievement showcased his scoring prowess and dominance.
James Harden recorded his fifth career 50-point triple-double on March 31, scoring 50 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 10 assists in a win over the Sacramento Kings. This remarkable feat solidified his place in NBA history.
After a victory against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 3, James Harden became the third player in NBA history to achieve over 2,700 points and 500 assists in a single season. This milestone highlighted his scoring and playmaking abilities.
In a game against the Phoenix Suns on April 7, James Harden's 30-point, 13-rebound, nine-assist, and two-steal performance broke multiple records. He tied Kobe Bryant for the most 30-point games in a season, joined elite company with Michael Jordan in statistical achievements, and showcased his exceptional skills.
James Harden became a part owner of Houston's professional soccer teams, the Houston Dynamo of MLS and the Houston Dash of NWSL.
Following a tweet by Houston Rockets general manager supporting the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, James Harden apologized to China, stating 'We apologize. We love China.'
Harden scored 59 points on 18–32 shooting from the field, extending his streak of having a 50-point game in 6 straight seasons.
Harden recorded a double-double in each game and averaged 40.7 points, scoring 22 3-pointers on 43.1% shooting.
Harden got his fourth career 60-point game in just three quarters, with the fewest shot attempts in a 60-point game in NBA history.
Harden got his fourth 50-point game of the season, becoming the fourth player in NBA history with multiple games of 10 or more 3-pointers.
Harden got his second 50-point game in a row, becoming the second player in NBA history to score 10+ 3PM in consecutive games.
Harden scored 40 points in a game against the Phoenix Suns, becoming the Western Conference player of the month for December.
On November 16, 2020, Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle reported that James Harden wanted to move on from the Houston Rockets and was attempting to force a trade to Kevin Durant's Nets. This signaled the beginning of Harden's desire for a new team.
Harden put up a season-high 44 points and tied a career-high 17 assists in an overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
On January 13, 2021, James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets after playing eight games with the Houston Rockets. The trade involved multiple players and draft picks, marking a significant move in Harden's career.
On January 14, 2021, James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team deal involving the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. The trade included multiple players and draft picks going to the Rockets.
On January 16, 2021, James Harden recorded a triple-double in his debut game with the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists. He became the first player in franchise history and the seventh player in NBA history to achieve this feat.
On February 2, 2021, James Harden earned his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor after averaging a double-double with 25.3 points and 11.3 assists over three games.
On March 1, 2021, James Harden achieved a triple-double with 30 points, 15 assists, and 14 rebounds for the Brooklyn Nets. Notably, he did so without committing any turnovers, a rare feat in NBA history.
On March 17, 2021, James Harden posted a remarkable performance with 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game against the Indiana Pacers. He joined Vince Carter as the only Nets players with a 40-point triple-double.
On April 1, 2021, James Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March. This marked his second consecutive month receiving the honor since joining the Brooklyn Nets.
On May 12, 2021, James Harden returned to action for the Brooklyn Nets after missing 18 games due to a strained hamstring. He came off the bench and posted a double-double in his first game back.
On October 22, 2021, James Harden scored 20 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers, moving past Kyle Korver for fourth place on the all-time three-pointers made list.
On November 12, 2021, James Harden achieved a season-high of 39 points, along with 5 rebounds and 12 assists in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
On February 10, 2022, the Nets traded James Harden and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round selections.
James Harden had a fantastic debut with the Sixers, showcasing his scoring and playmaking abilities. He made an immediate impact by scoring 27 points, dishing out 12 assists, and grabbing eight rebounds in his first game.
In Game 4 of the playoff series against the Miami Heat, James Harden briefly returned to his vintage step-back form. He scored 31 points, including six three-pointers, helping the Sixers even the series.
In July 2022, James Harden took a $15 million pay cut to sign a more cap-friendly two-year deal with the Philadelphia 76ers, following comments made by Joel Embiid about needing 'dogs' on the team.
On July 27, 2022, James Harden re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year, $68.6 million deal which includes a player option for the 2023–24 season.
James Harden faced difficulties in Games 6 and 7 against the Celtics, shooting poorly and contributing to the Sixers' playoff exit. These games marked the end of his time with the Sixers before requesting a trade to the Clippers.
On May 14, 2023, the Philadelphia 76ers, led by James Harden and Joel Embiid, lost in the second round of the playoffs, raising questions about Harden's performance in the postseason.
On June 29, 2023, James Harden opted into the final year of his contract with the Philadelphia 76ers and requested a trade, leading to speculation about his future with the team.
On July 18, 2023, James Harden requested a trade from the Philadelphia 76ers, confirmed by Daryl Morey, the team's president of basketball operations. The 76ers are looking to honor the request, potentially leading to Harden playing for his fifth team in the NBA.
James Harden exercised his player option for the 2023-24 season with a trade request to be moved from the Philadelphia 76ers, marking the third time he has requested a trade since January 2021. Harden expressed his displeasure about still being with the Sixers and criticized the team's president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, leading to a fine from the NBA.
On November 1, 2023, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired James Harden, P. J. Tucker, and Filip Petrušev from the 76ers in exchange for Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Robert Covington.
James Harden achieved a rare 20-20 triple-double with a career-high 21 assists against the Clippers. His performance helped the Sixers overcome a 20-point deficit and secure a victory.