James Harden

Basketball is a numbers game and James Harden’s numbers are among the most impressive in history. He has mastered the fine art of the triple-double, combining the inside game, outside game, passing and rebounding like no one else in his generation. A sixth man par excellence with the Oklahoma City Thunder, James initially attracted more attention with his signature beard than with his game-changing play. Freed from OKC, he flourished as a team leader, super scorer and all-around go-to guy, leaving his indelible mark on the NBA. This is his story…

GROWING UP
James Edwards Harden, Jr. was born on August 26, 1989, in Los Angeles California to Monja Willis and James Harden Sr. (Click here for a complete listing of today’s sports birthdays.) His father was in the Navy at the time, and he later drifted into drugs and was in and out of jail. James had little interest in his father, even when he later showed up at his high school games. To this day, James refuses to use Jr. when he writing his name. Monja had a steady job as an administrator with AT&T in Pasadena.

James was Monja’s third child. He had two siblings—10 and 14 years older—including a half-brother, Akili Roberson. He was a star quarterback for Locke High School in South L.A. and later the University of Kansas.

James spent most of his childhood in the Rancho Dominguez section of Compton. Like Akili, he was a big, fast, athletic boy who was drawn to the basketball court, which oozed talent and competition 12 months a year in the L.A. area. Unfortunately, James also suffered from asthma. At home, he was a quick-fingered video game player. At school, he was an attentive and serious student. James was a huge UCLA hoops fan. His favorite player was Jason Kapono.

Rancho Dominguez was one of the emerging working-class sections of the notorious Los Angeles suburb, with less violent crime but more break-ins and property theft. That was enough for Monja to want to send James out of the neighborhood for schooling. In 2003, he enrolled at Artesia High School in Lakewood, about 15 minutes away. Monja had done the same for Akili, sending him to a grade school in the San Fernando Valley.

Artesia had a powerful hoops program with a long and impressive history. James didn’t know about it until he arrived on campus and saw pictures of Kapono in the gym. Among the other college stars who played for the Pioneers were Tom Tolbert, Tony Farmer and the O’Bannon brothers, Ed and Charles. The coach of the varsity was Scott Pera. James cracked the starting lineup as a sophomore in 2004–05, contributing 13.2 points per game and helping Artesia finish with a 28–5 record.

By his junior year, James had grown several inches and now stood well over six feet. He had also developed a reliable left-handed jump shot and had his asthma under control. Pera thought James was ready to play a larger role in the offense, but the teenager didn’t want to appear selfish. Pera knew he could do it—although James was quiet and respectful around him, he was a boisterous and popular player in the locker room. Eventually, James’s mother told him to do whatever his coach said—or he’d have to deal with her!

James stepped up in 2005-06 and led the Pioneers to the state championship. He averaged nearly 20 points a game as Artesia fashioned a 33–1 record. That summer, James continued to develop as the star of the Pump N Run AAU team, regularly pouring in 20-plus points a game and playing great defense. At the Super 64 tournament in Las Vegas in late July, he turned heads when he netted 67 points in two games on the same day, all while facing future college stars Kevin Love, Nolan Smith, Austin Freeman and Michael Beasley.

Artesia repeated as state champs in 2006-07 under new coach Loren Grover, going 33–2. James was good for 15 to 20 points a game again, and helped sophomore Renardo Sidney and junior Malik Story become stars. Recruiters were quick to note that James possessed a basketball IQ comparable to many NBA players.

ON THE RISE
The school that won the Harden sweepstakes was Arizona State. It was a no-brainer. Pera was now an assistant there, and Monja was moving to nearby Phoenix to take care of a home that her mother had left to her in her will.

Herb Sendek’s Sun Devils were considered no better than a .500 team heading into the 2007–08 season. They were also viewed as one of the weakest teams in the Pac-10. James took command of the team from the shooting guard position. Working with sophomore point man Derek Glasser and junior forward Ty Pendergraph, he led a young squad to a 9–9 conference record and an overall mark of 21–13. He was tops on the club with 17.8 points and 2.1 steals per game. He also led Arizona State with a 40.7% mark from 3-point range. His 73 steals were three short of the school record, held by Fat Lever.

The Sun Devils narrowly missed an NCAA Tournament bid and played in the NIT instead. They won twice before the Florida Gators took them out. James, meanwhile, was named First Team All Pac-10 and was a member of the conference All-Freshman Team as well. Despite these accolades, he was growing tired of hearing how young he was. James decided to start growing a beard to look more mature. It started as a goatee and never stopped. That beard would come to define him—almost as much as his maturing game.

Heading into his sophomore season at ASU, James became a local legend, especially after students began wearing t-shirts that said “Die Harden Fan.” He was the toast of Tempe after pouring in 40 points against UTEP in a game right after Thanksgiving. It was the fifth-highest scoring performance in school history and helped James boost his scoring average to near the top of the Pac-10. He finished with a 20.1 average, led the conference in steals for the second season in a  row, and was voted Pac-10 Player of the Year. He was the third player in school history to be named the conference’s top performer. Eddie House and Ike Diogu had previously won the award.

The Sun Devils went 20–10, finished fourth in the conference, and earned a bid to the 2009 NCAA tourney. Arizona State was seeded sixth in the South region and beat Temple in the opening round. James shot poorly in the game, but Glasser and Pendergraph combined for 44 points to pick up the slack. ASU lost in the next round to third-seeded Syracuse, 78–67. James struggled again, making just two shots from the field. This would turn out to be his final college game. He declared himself eligible for the NBA draft.

Blake Griffin was the draft’s biggest prize, and the Los Angeles Clippers grabbed him with the first pick. James went two selections later to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had worked out for the team prior to draft day and later sent a note to GM Sam Presti listing the reasons he wanted to play for the Thunder. That sealed the deal—Oklahoma City decided to make him the #3 pick.

The Thunder were coming off a 23–59 season, but they were loaded with young talent. Coach Scott Brooks was charged with molding Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Jeff Green and fellow 20-year-old Serge Ibaka into a cohesive unit. James would be a big part of that effort. Brooks used the bright young rookie as his sixth man, spelling starter Thabo Sefolosha at shooting guard. James averaged 9.9 points, playing just under two quarters a game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. More important, he helped the Thunder turn their record around, as they finished 50–32.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Thunder put a scare into the mighty Lakers. L.A. managed two close wins to start the series, but Oklahoma City won the next two to even the series. James made three of four 3-pointers and scored 18 points in Game 3 and added 15 points and a pair of steals in Game 4. The Lakers won Game 5 and barely survived a wild Game 6 on the Thunder’s home court, advancing with a 96–95 victory.

The 2010-11 season found James in the sixth man role once again. He proved to be a valuable X Factor, providing a boost wherever the Thunder needed it. His long-range scoring touch drew out the defense and created room for Durant and the big men to maneuver inside. Though just 21, James was one of the most respected players on the Oklahoma City roster.

The Thunder enjoyed a second straight 50-win season, finishing with a total of 55 victories to nail down first place in the Northwest Division. James averaged 12.2 points per game and was third on the team in assists and steals. He hit 34.9% of his 324 attempts from beyond the arc.

Oklahoma City made a valiant run in the playoffs. After extinguishing the hopes of the Denver Nuggets in five games, they survived a seven-game struggle with the Memphis Grizzlies that turned on a triple-overtime victory in Game 4. Down two games to one, the Thunder won 133–123 to tie the series. James had 19 points and led the club with seven assists in the game. The Thunder won two of the next three to reach the Western Conference Finals. After splitting the first two games in Dallas, the team looked like it had a chance to reach the NBA Finals. But experience trumped youth, as the Mavericks won three straight to take the series. All five games were close.

MAKING HIS MARK
The Thunder continued their climb toward a championship in 2011–12. They won the Northwest Division again with a 47–19 record. James established himself as the finest sixth man in the league, averaging 31.4 minutes and 16.8 points per game. He topped 20 points 14 times and had games of 30, 33 and 40 points—all coming off the bench. By almost any metric, James ranked among the most efficient scorers in the league. Not surprisingly, he was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year.

The 40-point game came on April 18, against the Phoenix Suns. Two games later, James was leveled by an elbow from Ron Artest, who was celebrating a dunk. James left the game and was diagnosed with a concussion. The next time he took the floor, the Thunder were playing the Mavs in the opening round of the playoffs. Oklahoma City gained a measure of revenge when they swept Dallas. James made a statement in Game 4, leading the team with 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting.

Next came payback against the Lakers. The Thunder won in five games, and James scored 80 points and totaled eight steals in the series. The Western Conference Finals was another youth vs. experience confrontation, and this time youth won, as Oklahoma beat the San Antonio Spurs in six games. The Spurs actually took the first two games, but they ran out of gas as the Thunder swept the final four meetings. James scored 30 in a Game 2 loss and went for 20 in the pivotal Game 5 victory.

The Thunder faced the Miami Heat and the triumvirate of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in the NBA Finals. Many favored the Thunder, partly because of the intangibles that James provided. Oklahoma City took Game 1, and the Heat barely survived Game 2 to even the series. Miami then won the next three in a row to claim the NBA title. Miami did an excellent job limiting James’s impact on games, which was seen as a key to their victory. He hit just seven 3-pointers in five games.

To the surprise of many casual basketball fans, James was asked to join teammates Durant and Westbrook on the Olympic Team that summer. He saw little action in London, as Team USA went 8–0, beating Spain in the gold medal game.

Back in the U.S., an interesting drama soon began unfolding. Believing it had the makings of a Western Conference dynasty, Oklahoma City was determined to sew up James with an extension worth more than $12 million a year. As a sixth man, James was one of the most effective all-around players in the NBA. No matter the situation, he understood how to make his team better and had the skills to make that happen. Starting so many games on the bench, he had mastered the nuances of pro basketball as a supporting player, he served a valuable apprenticeship for his role as a young leader in Houston.

To the Thunder’s surprise, James was resistant to the idea. He believed he ranked among the best players in basketball—period—and felt he should be paid accordingly. When a contract could not be worked out, the Thunder cut bait and traded James to Houston in a multi-player deal that brought a pair of first-round draft picks to Oklahoma City. Knowledgeable basketball fans were shocked, and Thunder fans were outraged.

The Rockets signed James to an $80 million extension early in the 2012–13 season. He was already paying dividends at that point, scoring at a championship pace and providing leadership to a team that included point guard Jeremy Lin, forward Chandler Parsons and center Omer Asik. With 82 points in his first two games as a Rocket, James had one of the greatest starts for a new team in NBA history. He showed just how dangerous an offensive player he could be—deadly from long range, able to create his own shot inside the arc, and capable of attacking the basket if defenders got too aggressive. He also showed he was a smart, athletic defender, a solid rebounder for his position, and a skilled passer.

James finished his first year in Houston leading the club in scoring with 25.9 points per game. The Rockets went 45–37 but lacked the depth to contend for an NBA title. That became clear in the opening round of the playoffs, when they dropped the first three games to the Thunder and lost the series in six.

The Rockets made another huge add prior to 2013–14 when they brought Dwight Howard in to play center. He was a monster on the boards and was a big part of Houston’s nine-game improvement. James was good for 20 to 30 a night, started in the All-Star Game and was named First-Team All-NBA. Come playoff time, however, the Rockets bowed out again in the first round, this time to the Portland Trailblazers.

James followed this breakthrough campaign with an MVP-caliber performance in 2014–15. He led Houston to the division title and reached 50 points in a game for the first time. James was named First-Team All-NBA for the second year in a row. He lost out to Steph Curry for MVP but won the NBA Players MVP the first year it was given out. The Rockets won their first two playoff series, against the Mavs and the Clippers, but the conference-final showdown between James and Steph Curry went the Warriors’ way, 4 games to 1. Down 3 games to 0, James set a person postseason best with 45 points in a Game 4 victory, but followed that up with a historically bad performance in the finale two nights later, turning the ball over 13 times.

Turnovers would continue to be a problem—a classic case of the guy who can do everything trying to do too much. Indeed, the following seas, when James set new career-bests in point, rebounds and assists—he also set a new NBA record with 374 giveaways. The Rockets started off slowly, costing coach Kevin McHale his job, but they righted the ship under JB Bicketrstaff and snagged the final playoff spot with a 41–41 record. Unfortunately, that set up a first-round date with the Warriors, who wiped them out in five games.

Mike D’Antoni, he of the fast-paced run-and-gun offense, took over from Bickerstaff in 2016–17 and anointed James—who inked a $118 million contract extension over the summer— the team’s new point guard. In the season opener he hit for 34 and had 17 assists, and then went on to average over 11 assists a game in his new role, while maintaining his scoring at a tick under 30 points a game. In v=back-to-back January games, he became the fourth player in history with consecutive triple-double that included at least 40 points. Later that season he became the first player ever with 50-point triple-doubles in the same season. James notched triple-double 22 times in all, fueling a Rocket resurgence that resulted in 52 victories. In the MVP voting he finished runner-up to his old teammate, Westbrook. The playoffs ended early again for Houston, however, with the Spurs beating the Rockets in the second round. After the postseason, the Rockets tore up James’s current contract and inked him to another extension, which upped the total to $228 million guaranteed, which was the richest deal in league history at the time.

James  aimed to earn every penny in 2017–18, and earn it he did. Early in the season he came within a point of Calvin Murphy’s single-game team scoring record of 57 points. It was part of a run that saw James top 20 points in each of Houston’s first 30 games, shattering Moses Malone’s record. A hamstring injury sidelined James for a couple of weeks, but he returned to the lineup and kept rolling. In a January win over the Magic, he claimed the franchise record with 60 points and added 10 rebounds and 11 assists to become the first professional player with a 60-point triple-double. James finished the year with a league-high 30.4 scoring average and was named NBA MVP.

The Rockets won 65 games and were the #1 seed in the playoffs. They beat the Timberwolves and Jazz in the first two rounds, with James setting the tone in each series with 40-point Game 1’s. He made it three in a row with 41 in the opener of the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors, but Golden State went on to take the series in seven games.

James made a spirited bid for a second MVP in 2018–19, pouring in 30 more a night, night after night—at one point 32 games in a row. He notched his fifth 50-point triple-double—the most in NBA history—and became third player to hit 2,000 3-pointers in his career. James averaged 36.1 points per game, eclipsing the second-place finisher by more than 8 points. Not since the days of Wilt Chamberlain had there been such a wide gulf between #1 and #2. The Rockets racked up 53 wins behind James’s unreal offense to finish first in the Southwest Division, but fell once again to the Warriors in the playoffs. James finished behind Giannis Antetokounpo in the Most Valuable Player tally.

James got off to another prolific start in 2019–20, registering his fourth career 60-point game, doing so on just 24 shots and sitting out the entire 4^th quarter in a blowout over the Hawks. Later that season, he hit for 50 points in back-to-back games for the fourth time—part of a three-game run that saw him hit 10 or more 3-pointers in each game. A few days later he surpassed Eglin Baylor for the most 40-point games in league history. Covid put a crimp in the NBA schedule in 2021, but when the players returned to play in the bubble, James kept pouring in points and won the scoring title for the third year in a row, with a 34.3 average. The Rockets’ chances in the postseason looked pretty good until they ran into LeBron James and the Lakers, who eliminated them in the second round.

In the brief time between the Covid-delayed NBA Finals and the start of the 200–21 campaign, the Rockets found a new coach and GM, and also heard from James, now 31, that he was interested in finding a new address. The Rockets always seemed a couple of players short come playoff time and he wanted a ring. A trade was engineered in January involving Houston and three other teams that put James in Brooklyn Nets uniform. To the surprise of no one, he turned in a triple-double in his first game as a Net and was named to the All-Star Game for the 9^th year in a row. In a rare Nets road win over the Spurs, James became the first player to pull off a triple-double with zero turnovers. A few days later He was named conference Player of the Month for February and March, the 11^th and 12^th time he’d won that honor.

James’s remarkable debut with Brooklyn ended with a pulled hamstring. He was back in time for the playoffs, and led the Nets to a series victory over the Celtics, but re-injured his leg in the next round against the Bucks. He missed three crucial games but made it back on the court in time for Game 5. He played well but the Nets lost in seven games.

The Nets opened the 2021-22 campaign with high hopes, envisioning an unstoppable Kevin Durant-James Harden one-two punch. By midseason. However, it was becoming clear that both players were past their prime and Brooklyn did not have the supporting cast to make up the difference. The decision was made to trade James to the win-now 76ers, who sent veterans Andre Drummond, Ben Simmons, Seth Curry and a pair of draft picks back to the Nets. James was sensational in his Philly debut, and was excellent in the opening round of the playoffs as the 76ers beat the Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, he seemed to run out of gas in the semifinals and the Miami Heat won the series 4 games to 2.

FACTS

• James was named a McDonald’s All-American and a Parade All-American in 2007.
• James set an ASU school record for freshmen with a total of 16 20-point games in 2007–08.
• In 2007–08, James became the first Pac-10 freshman to average 17 points and amass 70 steals.
• James led the Pac-10 in scoring and steals in 2008–09.
• James was just the third sophomore to be named Pac-10 Player of the Year. The first two were Jason Kidd and Mike Bibby.
• James’s 37.5% mark from 3-point range as a rookie was third-highest in NBA history for a player under the age of 21.
• James was the second-youngest player ever to be named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. He was the first player in Oklahoma City history to win the award.
• James led the Sophomore squad with 30 points in the All-Star Rookie Challenge Game in 2011.
• The only players that opened the year with more points than James in 2012–13 were Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
• The YouTube video “Beard Like Harden” has drawn nearly 500,000 views.
• The Thunder sold Harden beards on their website for $10.
• James was Houston’s third MVP. Moses Malone won the award twice and Hakeem Olajuwon won it once.
• In March 2016, James became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1967 with 450 points, 150 assists and 100 rebounds in a month.
• In a 2019 playoff game, James set a record by missing each of his first 15 shots. The previous record-holder, with 11 misses, was happy to let that one go. It was Michael Jordan.
• James scored more points (19,758) than anyone during the 2010s, despite spending several of those years as a sixth man.
• In 2015, James became part owner of the MLS Houston Dynamo.

MY SAY

“I mesh with anyone.”

“It’s a new journey for me. It’s a new growth for me, to do something special, being one of the focal points of this offense. It’s a great opportunity.”

“I’m with Houston now. I just have to come in here and play hard and win games.”

“I would love to thank Oklahoma City for three amazing years!.”

“I’m really focused on how I can improve my body and what I’ve got to bring to the table.”

“This is a business and everything happens for a reason. I’m going to just to play hard, try to play hard and do whatever it takes to win.”

THEY SAY

He’s always been an efficient, easy player to play with.

He’s got a pace to his game that I like. I think he plays at a speed where he can repeat things over and over again.

He’s a really sophisticated player.

James Harden is a player we can build around, and continue to improve the team around his skills.

He’s an elite offensive player, a complete player.

To see a guy that’s been here since day one, since we started this thing, get moved like that, it was tough.

I think we all know that James Harden was a big part of their team. He was a big part of why they made it to the finals.

He wanted his worth and he wanted to be featured. He’s going to get featured. He’s a pretty good player. He can live up to the billing but the grind is tough. Every night to step up to what everyone believes that you should do because of the dollar about you ask for.

Harden has to acclimate to being the top defensive target each night.

There’s no doubt that playing next to Durant and Westbrook can have its legitimate advantages … but the hard truth is that sharing the court with those two stars absolutely slaughtered Harden’s numbers.

There will forever after be a line of demarcation when we mark the Thunder franchise: Before Harden and After Harden.