James Harden

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Lore & Background

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. 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 2018 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 Los Angeles Clippers at the start of the 2023–24 season and was named to his 11th All-Star Game in 2025. In 2026, after two-and-half seasons with LA, he was traded to Cleveland at the trade deadline.

In Their Own Story

The transition from Houston to Brooklyn was swift, occurring right at the start of the 2020–21 season. Harden stepped into a new environment with immediate expectations, carrying his momentum as he had been named to consecutive All-Star teams leading up to the trade. His integration into the Nets saw him maintain the rhythm that defined his career, contributing to his ninth and tenth straight All-Star selections while in Brooklyn. The story of these years is defined by continuity in his individual accolades despite the change in jersey. However, the chapter closed definitively at the 2022 trade deadline when the organization moved him to the Philadelphia 76ers, ending a stint that had seen him remain a central figure in the league's All-Star conversation.

Reader's Guide

James Harden is a shooting guard known for his scoring, playmaking, and signature beard. He has played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Cleveland Cavaliers. He is a former MVP, 11-time All-Star, and three-time scoring champion.

Did You Know?

• Harden was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009 at Arizona State.
• He was selected third overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
• Harden won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2012.
• He was named NBA Most Valuable Player in 2018.
• Harden has led the league in scoring three times and assists twice.