However, he is also known for his dribbling and passing abilities, attributes best suited for the point guard He played college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils, where he was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Yearin 2009. College: Arizona State "use strict";(function(){var insertion=document.getElementById("citation-access-date");var date=new Date().toLocaleDateString(undefined,{month:"long",day:"numeric",year:"numeric"});insertion.parentElement.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(date),insertion)})(); Subscribe to the Biography newsletter to receive stories about the people who shaped our world and the stories that shaped their lives. 3 pick in the 2009 NBA draft, he began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, before a stunning trade to the Houston Rockets in 2012. Harden was previously linked to rapper Trina, and has also reportedly been involved with Instagram models Jessyka Janshel and Arab Money. • During the 2016-17 season, he became the first NBA player to record two 50-point triple-double games (later surpassed by Russell Westbrook). Pro basketball star Carmelo Anthony became one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history after entering the league with the Denver Nuggets in 2003. position. The latest creation was designed with a wider base and durable traction pattern on the outsole, giving the James Edward Harden Jr. Twitter: JHarden13 (The Beard, El Chapo, Jimbo Slice) Position: Point Guard and Shooting Guard Shoots: Left 6-5, 220lb (196cm, 99kg) Team: Houston Rockets. The Sun Devils improved to 21 wins during Harden's freshman season, and surged to 25 wins and a berth in the NCAA Tournament by his third and final year. The No. 2 during NBA All-Star Weekend in February 2018. • Harden finished 2016-17 as the first player to accumulate at least 2,000 points (2,356), 900 assists (907) and 600 rebounds (659) in one season, also finishing the year with a record 474 turnovers. Professional basketball player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors was the first person to be named Most Valuable Player by unanimous vote in NBA history. James Edward Harden Jr. was born on August 26, 1989, in Los Angeles, California, to Monja Wills and James Harden Sr. His father was in the ‘US Navy’ at the time of his birth, and his mother worked as an administrator with ‘AT&T’ in Pasadena. Additionally, that point total Harden has since emerged as a perennial MVP candidate, thanks in part to the sort of play that produced a record-setting 60-point triple-double in January 2018. He was named the winner of the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, and the Thunder rolled through the playoffs before suffering a tough five-game loss to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. Michael Jordan is a former American basketball player who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships and won the Most Valuable Player Award five times. Attentive viewers traced the move to In return, the Thunder received guard Kevin Martin, recent draft pick Jeremy Lamb and multiple future draft picks, but the lack of an impact player to match the production of Harden resulted in the trade being viewed as heavily lopsided in favor of Houston. 3 overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Harden got his pro career off to a strong start by earning All-Rookie Second Team honors. Adidas debuted the Harden Vol. 13 retired by the school. The situation didn't sit well with the soft-spoken basketball star, who was said to be relieved after their romance fizzled early the following year. James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Russell Westbrook of the NBA's Houston Rockets has drawn attention for his explosive scoring performances and creative outfits. Named the Pac-10 Conference Player of the Year and an All-American, he wrapped up his collegiate career ranked third all-time in ASU's record book with an average of 19.0 points per game, and later had his No. Hurricane Harvey. By 2011-12, he was an integral part of a team that also featured superstar scorers Kevin Durant and Westbrook. James Sr., a former Navy seaman, was mostly absent from his … Among his philanthropic efforts, Harden has formed the 3 The Harden Way Inc., to provide higher learning opportunities for youth. Harden was selected with the third overal… Thanks to his superb all-around skills, Harden has stuffed the stat sheet with some record-breaking performances: • From December 13, 2018, through February 21, 2019, Harden scored at least 30 points in 32 consecutive games, second only to Wilt Chamberlain's record of 65 consecutive games. © 2020 Biography and the Biography logo are registered trademarks of A&E Television Networks, LLC. The following year, Harden lifted Houston out of an early hole with his unstoppable scoring ability, but the season again ended at the hands of the Warriors in the playoffs. He led the Miami Heat to NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 and won another championship with Cleveland in 2016, before joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018. With Paul bringing his veteran leadership to the team, and key role players like Eric Gordon fitting nicely alongside Harden in his prime, the Rockets won an NBA-best 65 games in 2017-18, before suffering a heartbreaking loss to the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. In 2017, he pledged $1 million to support victims of He earned the first of six straight All-Star berths that year, and finished second in the voting for Most Valuable Player in 2015 and 2017 before finally claiming the trophy in 2018. Harden led Artesia to back-to-back state championships, and was named a McDonald's All-American in 2007. season. The arrangement led to the debut of the athlete's signature shoe, the Harden Vol. James Edward Harden Jr. was born on August 26, 1989, in Los Angeles, California. In 2015, Harden began making his trademark "stirring the pot" gesture — one hand cupped like a bowl, the other twirling inside it — after making a big shot. player the ability to better change direction and pull off his patented "Eurostep" move. James Sr., a former Navy seaman, was mostly absent from his life, leading to Harden and his two siblings being raised by their mom, Monja Willis, in the notorious neighborhood of Compton. Former pro basketball player Dwyane Wade starred for the Miami Heat for most of his 16 NBA seasons, earning 13 All-Star selections and winning three titles. https://www.biography.com/athlete/james-harden. Chris Paul, an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder, has also played for the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets. We strive for accuracy and fairness. He became one of the NBA's most prolific scorers and earned recognition as the best shooting guard in the NBA, as well as one of the top overall players in the league. After his contract with Nike ran out, Harden signed a 13-year endorsement deal with Adidas in 2015. After beginning a relationship with Khloé Kardashian in the summer of 2015, Harden found himself at the center of the ever-swirling media circus surrounding the reality-TV clan. LeBron James became an immediate star after skipping college to join the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers. Professional basketball All-Star Kyrie Irving helped the Cleveland Cavaliers win their first NBA championship before moving on to play for the Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets. Born: August 26, 1989 in Los Angeles, California us. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Capping his breakout season, Harden was a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic team at the 2012 London Olympics. Harden actually was moved to point guard during the 2016-17 season, though he shifted back to his usual position when point guard Chris Paul joined the Rockets before the 2017-18 By the time he first tried out for the boys' basketball team at Artesia High School in nearby Lakewood, Harden stood a relatively modest 6'1" and was hampered by bouts of asthma. Since joining the Rockets prior to the 2012-13 season, Harden has emerged as one of the top players in the NBA. November 2016. Houston did reach the Western Conference Finals in 2015, but was bounced in the first round of the playoffs in 2016, and saw another promising season halted in the second round the following year. a video for "Flicka Da Wrist," by Houston rapper Chedda Da Connect, though Harden claimed he just started doing it while playing around with friends. For all his individual brilliance, Harden was unable to push the Rockets past the pack of contenders in his first few years with the team. Standing 6'5", Harden is the ideal size for a shooting guard, his normal position. However, he immediately impressed his coaches with his game instincts, and after sprouting a few inches, he became one of the top players in the nation. He died tragically in a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. • On January 30, 2018, he became the first player in NBA history to score 60 points while recording a triple-double (at least 10 points, rebounds and assists).