James Harden

James Edward Harden Jr. is an American professional basketball player currently with the Los Angeles Clippers. He is often recognised by his large beard leading him to be christened by the fans and media as ‘The Beard’. He is a skilled left-sided combo guard who scores at a very prolific level, making him one of the best at his trade in the NBA.

Harden is considered one of the best scorers and shooting guards in NBA history. He was chosen by the Oklahoma City Thunder as the 3rd overall pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft.

Early Life

Harden was born on the 26th of August 1989 in Los Angeles, California. He attended Artesia High School in Lakewood California, where he led his team to back-to-back state titles during his junior and senior years in high school. He later went on to play for the Arizona State University team for 2 seasons before declaring for the 2009 NBA Draft.

NBA Journey

Oklahoma City selected him with the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft where he would team up with 2 other future MVPs in Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, reaching the NBA Finals and picking up the NBA Sixth Man of The Year. After being unable to come to an agreement about his contract extension, he was traded to the Houston Rockets where he would go on to develop as the association’s best shooting guard, getting selected to various NBA All-Star and All-NBA Teams.

His remarkable play style allowed him to score and create points for fun and led the NBA in scoring thrice and led the league in assists twice as well. In the 2017/2018 season, he finally won the MVP and many experts suggested that he could’ve won it all had it not been for Chris Paul’s unfortunate injury in the Western Conference Finals. He would later try to team up with one of his closest friends: Russell Westbrook, but it did not end well. James was traded to the Brooklyn Nets where he teamed up with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, forming one of the scariest teams ever built.

With the USA Basketball Men’s Team, he won a FIBA World Cup Gold Medal in 2014 and an Olympic Gold Medal During the 2012 London Olympics.

NBA Awards and Accolades

James Harden Record

• In the 2012-13 season, James Harden joined Kobe Bryant, Gilbert Arenas, and Jerry Stackhouse as the only other players in NBA history to have made at least 600 free throws and made at least 150 3-pointers in a single season.

• He became the first player in the team’s history to have two games with 50 points in a single season.

• He was the first player to score at least 450 points, 150 assists, and 100 rebounds in a single month since Oscar Robertson achieved it in December 1967.

• He was the fourth NBA player after LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson to score with an average of 29 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds in a season.

• Harden signed the most expensive contract in NBA history making his six-year agreement with $228 million.

• Harden recorded the third-longest game streak continuous in 24 games, with 30 or more points in NBA history.

• He became the first player in NBA history to score 30 points or more in a single season against all 29 other teams.

• He became the only player in NBA history to score five triple-doubles in a regular season.

• Only James Harden, Klay Thompson, and Kobe Bryant have scored 60 points in only just three quarters.

James Harden Net Worth

James Harden is known to have a frivolous party-type lifestyle but has managed to amass a massive net worth. As of 2023, James Harden's net worth is around $165 million. He gets most of his income from his NBA contract and his various endorsements. His current contract will pay him $44,310,840 through the 2021-2022 NBA season. He has a $200 million deal that he signed in 2015 with Adidas that will pay him $15 million a year till 2028. He also has a $10 million mansion in the swanky suburbs of Houston.

James Harden Family

James Harden was born in Los Angeles, California to mother Monja Ellis and Father James Sr., the latter of whom was absent for most parts of Harden’s life. He was raised in Compton with his older brother, Akili Roberson.

Read more about James Harden's parents.

James Harden Girlfriend

American guard for the Los Angeles Clippers is currently dating Jessyka Janshel. She studied at Prairie View A&M University, but her modeling career stopped her from finishing her degree. She has appeared in numerous magazines and music videos and has a huge Instagram following with 600k followers. She has also served as the event's host with Josh Huff of the NFL.

Read more about James Harden's girlfriend.

James Harden Shoes

The 10-time NBA All-Star has released six versions of his signature shoe. The newest is the Adidas Harden Vol. 6. The next Adidas Harden Vol. 7 is about to come out towards the end of 2023. He inked a massive $200 million sneaker deal with the Three Stripes in 2015. The Harden Vol. 1, Harden's first signature sneaker, was unveiled on December 3, 2016, and with enhancing the quality, comfort, and new looks further versions were released in the market. Harden had a long-running partnership with Nike before joining up with Adidas.