He is one of the most prolific scorers and the best shooting guard in the NBA. Moreover, he is one of the top overall players in the league.
Also popularly known by his nickname “The Beard.” We are talking about none other than the proficient and energetic player, “James Harden.”
Harden is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association.
What was his life like? How did he get into NBA? We shall take a closer look at his life from the early days to date right here in this article.
But, before that, let’s have a sneak peek into the quicks facts about James Harden.
Quick Facts- James Harden
Full Name | James Edward Harden, Jr. |
Birth Date | August 26, 1989 |
Birth Place | Los Angeles, California |
Nick Name | The Beard, JHard |
Religion | Christian |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | (Black) African- American |
Education | Audubon Middle School, Artesia High School, Arizona State University |
Horoscope | Virgo |
Father’s Name | James Harden, Sr. |
Mother’s Name | Monja Willis |
Siblings | Two older Siblings (Names not known) |
Age | 32 Years Old |
Height | 6 ft 5 in. (1.96 m) |
Weight | 220 lb (99.8 kg) |
Shoe Size | 14 (US) |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Body Measurement | Chest size(44 in), Waist size (34 in), Arms/Biceps size (15 in) |
Build | Athlete |
Married | No |
Girlfriend | Rumored (Gail Golden) |
Position | Shooting guard |
Profession | NBA Player |
Net Worth | $165 million |
Salary | $38,199,000 |
Current Team | Houston Rockets |
League | NBA |
Active Since | 2009- present |
Social Media | Facebook, Instagram, Twitter |
Merch | Paperback, Bobblehead |
Last Update | May, 2022 |
James Harden | Early Life
James Harden was born on August 26, 1989, to his parents James Harden Sr. and Monja Willis, in Los Angeles, California.
He was the middle child in the family. His father was a navy seaman but, performing the duty of seamen was not that easy. He had his own struggle leaning on the right side of the law.
His father’s constant encounter with the law led his mother to take the overall responsibility of Harden, his elder sister and half-brother.
Harden himself faced a rough time growing up in a city like Compton, where drug abuse and violence ruled the entire day.
Moreover, Harden’s father himself got stuck with the drug dealing in the area.
Sports played the role of a savior in his life to protect him from drug abuse and violence.
James Harden| High School Career
James attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California. When he was in grade ten, he scored 13.2 points, which sounded remarkable for a fresher.
Furthermore, he led the way to California State Title in his junior season with 18.8 points, 7.7 boards, and 3.5 assists.
Artesia repeated its reign in State Championship in Harden’s senior year. James was titled McDonald’s All-American and also received second-team Parade All-American honors.
James also led the AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite, to the 2006 Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship.
Overall, he gained victory over all the teams’ finest, including players like Michael Beasley, Nolan Smith, Austin Freeman, and Kevin Love.
James Harden| College Career
He joined Arizona State University for his college and played for the Sun Devils. Arizona State was picked up to finish ninth in the Pac-10 Conference. After having Hazard performed for the team,
Arizona stood fifth in the Pac-10. Arizona took part in the 2008 NCAA Tournament but was left out as a bubble team.
They also unlocked their door to the 2008 NIT field and got victory over Alabama State and Southern Illinois before defending national champion Florida.
Harden was titled to first-team All-Pac-10 and conference all-freshman team and first-team All-District by the NABC and the USBWA.
He was also titled to the Wooden Award preseason watch list. Further, he declared for the 2009 NBA draft and hired Rob Pelinka as his agent.
James Harden | Professional Career
Harden was selected in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 3rd overall pick.
He inked a contract with Thunders for two years worth $4.76 million. He played for the Thunders until the 2012 season and got him the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Looking at his outstanding performance, the Thunders tried to extend his contract for four years worth $55 million.
But the contract was not a success; he switched to the Houston Rockets.
With his laudable debut for his team Houstons now, he earned Player of the Week honors more than three times in a season.
He was the third Rocket star to jump the scoring to 3000 points in less than 120 appearances with his extra-fine shooting skills.
Eventually, Harden showed up as one of the top contenders for the league MVP award, which was previously named to Stephen Curry.
With his excellence, he got the first-ever National Basketball Players Association’s MVP award.
His performance in the league was just going relentlessly. He became the third player in the history of the league to make a score of a least 29 points, six rebounds, and 7 assists in one season.
Harden has inked a six-year deal with the Rockets. He has proved himself as the lead scorer in the NBA with 19,578 points for the 2020 season.
He received his first quadruple-double, which positioned him as the 6th in league history.
Harden was a winner of the league’s MVP award for 2018.
After the Rockets, the professional basketball player was traded to the Brooklyn Nets on January 14, 2021.
National Team Career
Harden was a part of the United States national team that received a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics.
He was also a part of the team that won the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014. He also remained a contender for the 2016 Olympics, but he drew his name back from the team.
James Harden | Career Stats
Year | Team | GP | Min | Pts | FG% | 3pt% | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Nets | 36 | 36.6 | 24.6 | 47.1 | 36.6 | 8.5 | 10.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 |
2020 | Rockets | 8 | 36.2 | 24.8 | 44.4 | 34.7 | 5.1 | 10.4 | 0.9 | 0.8 |
2019 | Rockets | 68 | 36.5 | 34.3 | 44.4 | 35.5 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 1.8 | 0.9 |
2018 | Rockets | 78 | 36.8 | 36.1 | 44.2 | 36.8 | 6.6 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 0.7 |
2017 | Rockets | 72 | 35.4 | 30.4 | 44.9 | 36.7 | 5.4 | 8.8 | 1.8 | 0.7 |
2016 | Rockets | 81 | 36.4 | 29.1 | 44.0 | 34.7 | 8.1 | 11.2 | 1.5 | 0.5 |
2015 | Rockets | 82 | 38.1 | 29.0 | 43.9 | 35.9 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 1.7 | 0.6 |
2014 | Rockets | 81 | 36.8 | 27.4 | 44.0 | 37.5 | 5.7 | 7.0 | 1.9 | 0.7 |
2013 | Rockets | 73 | 38.0 | 25.4 | 45.6 | 36.6 | 4.7 | 6.1 | 1.6 | 0.4 |
2012 | Rockets | 78 | 38.3 | 25.9 | 43.8 | 36.8 | 4.9 | 5.8 | 1.8 | 0.5 |
2012 | Thunder | 4 | 28.8 | 13.5 | 28.6 | 25.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 |
2011 | Thunder | 62 | 31.4 | 16.8 | 49.1 | 39.0 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 1.0 | 0.2 |
2010 | Thunder | 82 | 26.7 | 12.2 | 43.6 | 34.9 | 3.1 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 0.3 |
2009 | Thunder | 76 | 22.9 | 9.9 | 40.3 | 37.5 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 |
Career | 877 | 34.4 | 25.1 | 44.4 | 36.3 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 1.6 | 0.5 |
James Harden | Personal Life
Harden is a Christian by religion. He is a firm believer who says -“I just want to thank God for everything he has done in my life.”