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. He 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 2017–18 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 arena hums with a nervous energy as the clock winds down in the fourth quarter. Harden dribbles at the top of the key, eyes locked on the rim, ignoring the defenders closing in. With a sudden burst, he steps back, creating just enough space to rise into his iconic shooting form. The ball arcs high against the bright arena lights, spinning perfectly before swishing through the net, silencing the crowd and cementing another chapter of Houston history.

Reader's Guide

Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California, where he led his team to two state titles and was named a McDonald's All-American. In college at Arizona State, he averaged 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in his sophomore season, earning Pac-10 Player of the Year and consensus All-American honors. He was drafted third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009 and won Sixth Man of the Year in 2012. Traded to the Houston Rockets in 2012, he became a perennial All-Star and won the NBA MVP award in 2017–18. He later played for the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Did You Know?

• Harden scored 37 points with 12 assists in his Rockets debut, the first NBA player to score 37+ points with a double-digit assist total in a team debut.
• He was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.
• Harden led the league in assists twice: once with Houston and once with Philadelphia in 2023.