High school career

Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California. In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.2 points as Artesia went 28-5. He improved his stats to 18.8 points, 7.7 boards and 3.5 assists in his junior season and led Artesia to the California state title and a 33-1 record. Artesia repeated as state champions in Harden's final year after going 33-2. Harden had similar stats as during the previous season: 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He was named a McDonald's All-American, and also earned second-team Parade All-American honors.

He also helped his AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite, to the 2006 Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship. Harden had 34 points in the victory over a DC Assault team which included Michael Beasley, Nolan Smith and Austin Freeman. In the game against Houston Hoops, played on the same day, Harden had 33 points. In the final, Pump-N-Run Elite beat Kevin Love's Southern California All-Stars.

College career

Left: Harden makes contact with Alfred Aboya inside; Right: Harden contesting a jump shot on defense

Arizona State was picked to finish 9th in the Pac-10 Conference. Due to the help of Harden's average of 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists, the Sun Devils went 21-13 (9-9) and finished tied for 5th in the Pac-10. They were considered a bubble team for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Left out of the NCAA tournament, they were selected to the 2008 NIT field and defeated Alabama State and Southern Illinois before falling to defending national champion Florida.

After his freshman year, Harden was named first team All-Pac-10 and was named to the conference all-freshman team. Harden was also named first team All-District by the NABC and the USBWA.

Entering his sophomore year, Harden appeared on many pre-season All-American lists and appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated college basketball preview issue. He was named to the Wooden Award preseason watch list. On November 30, 2008, Harden scored a career-high 40 points in an 88-58 victory over UTEP.

Harden finished his sophomore campaign with averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He was named to the 2009 All-Pac 10 Tournament Team following Arizona State's defeat by USC at the Staples Center. Following the conference season, Harden was named the Pacific-10 Conference's Player of the Year. He was also named a consensus All-American. After the conclusion of the season (a second-round NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse), Harden declared for the 2009 NBA draft. He employed Rob Pelinka as his agent.

College statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007-08	Arizona State	34	33	34.1	.527	.407	.754	5.3	3.2	2.1	.6	17.8
2008-09	Arizona State	35	35	35.8	.489	.356	.756	5.6	4.2	1.7	.3	20.1

NBA career

Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-2012)

Harden was drafted 3rd overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. This made him the first player to be drafted by the franchise as the Oklahoma City Thunder. The franchise last entered the 2008 NBA draft as the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first NBA season, Harden averaged 9.9 points in 22.9 minutes per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second year, he played all 82 games of the regular season, averaging 12.2 points per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 13 points per game, shooting over 47% from the field.

On April 18, 2012, Harden scored a then career-high 40 points in a 109-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Four days later against the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden suffered a concussion after being elbowed by the Lakers' Metta World Peace, who was celebrating a dunk. World Peace was ejected, and was later suspended for seven games by the league. Harden returned for the first game of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks.

Harden ended the 2011-12 season averaging 16.8 points per game off the bench which led all NBA reserves. He was then named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the second youngest player ever to win the award. He was one of the most efficient scorers in the league, finishing second in both true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage, posting a .660 TS% and .582 eFG%. Harden helped the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals where they lost to the Miami Heat. During the free agency period, Oklahoma City attempted to sign Harden to a four-year contract extension worth between $52 and $55 million.

Houston Rockets (2012-present)

2012-13 season

After failing to agree on a contract extension with the Thunder, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets, along with Daequan Cook, Cole Aldrich, and Lazar Hayward, for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first round picks and a second round pick. Rockets general manager Daryl Morey called Harden a "foundational" player and expected him to be Houston's featured player despite previously only playing a supporting role behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. On October 31, he signed a contract extension with the Houston Rockets for five years worth $80 million. In the Rockets 2012-13 season opener, Harden had 37 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. His 37 points tied for the second most for an NBA player in his debut with a new team, and was the first player with at least 37 points and 12 assists in his debut. On November 2, 2012, he scored a then career-high 45 points in a win against the Atlanta Hawks. Following the first week of the season, Harden was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time.

On December 27, 2012, Harden scored 30 points, including 17 in the 4th quarter and 15 of the final 17 points for the Rockets, to lead a comeback victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Harden was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the second time for games played between December 30 and January 6 after averaging 29.3 points, 5.5 assists, and leading the Rockets to a perfect 4-0 week. On January 10, 2013, during a loss to the New Orleans Hornets, Harden scored 25 points for the 14th consecutive game, breaking the Rockets' franchise record previously held by Hall of Famer Moses Malone. Harden was subsequently selected to his first All-Star game in 2013 as a reserve for the Western Conference, where he teamed up with former teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He went on to score 15 points in the game.

On February 2, 2013, Harden recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over the Charlotte Bobcats. On February 20, 2013, Harden scored a career-high 46 points in Houston's 122-119 win over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harden finished his first season with the Rockets with career-highs in many statistical categories after he averaged 25.9 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He led the Rockets to a 45-37 record overall and the team made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2008-09 as the #8 seed. In the 2013 NBA Playoffs, the Rockets were pitted against the #1 seed in the west, the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Game 5, he scored 31 points while going 7-of-9 from three-point range despite playing with flu-like symptoms. The Rockets went on to lose the series in six games. Harden averaged 26.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 steals in the series. On May 23, 2013, Harden was named to the All-NBA Third Team for the first time.

2013-14 season

With the Rockets' signing of center Dwight Howard in the offseason, Harden was able to team-up with another All-Star to bring the Rockets back into contention. After earning his second All-Star selection as a reserve for the Western Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game held on February 16, Harden went on to score a season-high 43 points on 11-of-20 shooting in a 129-103 win over the Sacramento Kings on February 25. The Rockets finished the 2013-14 season with a 54-28 record, earning the 4th seed in the Western Conference playoffs. In the Rockets' first round loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Harden averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. On June 4, he was named to the 2014 All-NBA first team.

2014-15 season

On December 13, 2014, Harden recorded his third career triple-double with 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in a 108-96 win over the Denver Nuggets. Nine days later, he scored a then season-high 44 points in a 110-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers as he continued to stake his claim as an early contender for the 2014-15 MVP award heading into Christmas. On December 31, he recorded a career-high 8 made three-pointers as he scored 36 points to help lead the Rockets to a 102-83 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

On February 8, 2015, Harden tied a season-high 45 points in a 98-109 loss to Portland. Two days later, he recorded his second straight 40-point game, and his sixth of the year, as he led the Rockets to a 127-118 win over the Phoenix Suns. On February 23, he recorded his second triple-double of the season with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 113-102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On March 2, 2015, the NBA suspended Harden for one game for kicking LeBron James in the groin during a 105-103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. On March 6, Harden recorded 38 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his third triple-double of the season as the Rockets snapped a two-game skid with a 103-93 win over the Detroit Pistons. After recording a career-high 50 points against the Denver Nuggets on March 19, Harden topped that mark with 51 points against the Sacramento Kings on April 1, making it his 33rd 30-point game and his ninth 40-point game for the season. He also became the first player in Rockets' franchise history to have two 50-point games in a season. On April 5, he recorded his 10th 40-plus-point game of the season, finishing the game with 41 points despite fouling out with 33 seconds left against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the Rockets' regular season finale on April 15 against the Utah Jazz, Harden recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as he helped the Rockets win their first division title since 1994 while clinching the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Harden was again named to the All-NBA first team, and finished second in the MVP voting behind Stephen Curry.

On May 12, 2015, Harden recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a Game 5 semi-final series win over the Los Angeles Clippers. On May 25, Harden scored a playoff career-high 45 points against the Golden State Warriors, helping his team avoid elimination in the Western Conference Finals. On May 27, the Rockets were eliminated from the Western Conference Finals with a 90-104 loss. In the loss, Harden set a new NBA record for most turnovers in a playoff game with 12.

On July 19, 2015, Harden was named the inaugural National Basketball Players Association's MVP for the 2014-15 season.

2015-16 season

On November 6, 2015, Harden broke out of an early-season shooting slump, shooting 13-of-23 from the field to finish with season-highs of 43 points and 13 assists in a 116-110 win over the Sacramento Kings. He topped his season-high scoring mark with 46 points the following night, making 13-of-14 free throws and was 5-of-10 from three-point range, helping the Rockets extend their winning streak to four by defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 109-105. On November 9, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, November 2 through Sunday, November 8. His ninth career Player of the Week award came after averaging 38.5 points and helping the Rockets go 4-0 for the week. To begin the season, the Rockets lost their first three games, before winning four straight, then going on another three-game losing streak to end up 4-6 after 10 games. All three runs were reflective in the shooting accuracy of Harden. Over the first three losses, he shot 12-of-54 from the field (22%); over the four-game winning streak, he shot 45-of-97 (46%); and then over the succeeding three-game losing streak, he shot 22-of-62 (35%).

On November 18, head coach Kevin McHale was fired after the Rockets began the season with a 4-7 record. Later that night, Harden recorded 45 points and 11 assists in a 108-103 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers. On November 25, he recorded his fourth 40-point game of the season in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, dropping to 5-10 overall and 1-3 under interim coach J. B. Bickerstaff. Two days later, he recorded his third career 50-point game in a 116-114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 13, in his 492nd game, he scored 27 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves to reach 10,000 career points. On January 20, he recorded his first triple-double of the season and seventh of his career with 33 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and 14 assists in a 123-114 loss to the Detroit Pistons. He became the first player to have those numbers in a game since Wilt Chamberlain had 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists on March 18, 1968. Four days later, he recorded second triple-double of the season with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 115-104 win over the Dallas Mavericks. On February 2, he scored 26 points and tied a career-high with 14 assists as the Rockets snapped a three-game skid with a 115-102 win over the Miami Heat. On March 22, he recorded 24 points, a career-high 16 assists and seven rebounds in a 111-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Three days later, he recorded his third triple-double of the season with 32 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 112-109 win over the Toronto Raptors. In March 2015, Harden recorded 457 points, 152 assists and 102 rebounds, becoming the first player to record at least 450 points, 150 assists and 100 rebounds in a single month since Oscar Robertson did so December 1967. On April 7, he tied a 38-year-old record for most turnovers in a season by committing his 366th turnover against the Phoenix Suns. He surpassed that record three days later against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Rockets scrapped into the postseason with a 41-41 record and an eighth-seeded finish. Harden completed the regular season with career high marks in points (29), assists (7.5) and rebounds (6.1) to join LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a season.

Down 2-0 to the first-seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, Harden scored 35 points in Game 3 in Houston, including the game-winner with 2.7 seconds left to lift the Rockets to a 97-96 win. The Rockets went on to lose the series in five games despite Harden's best efforts with 35 points in a Game 5 blowout loss.

Player profile

With season averages of over 26 points per game since the 2012-13 season, Harden is considered one of the most versatile and dangerous scorers in the NBA. He possesses a wide array of offensive moves; two of the most prominent among them being his Euro step and his step-back jumper. He has also gained notoriety for his ability to exploit league rules in order to more efficiently draw fouls and get to the free throw line, from which he is a career 84.9% shooter. Though primarily a scorer, he is also known for his playmaking ability, orchestrating the Rockets' offense with his elevated assist numbers. As of the 2014-15 season, he leads the league in assists that lead to three-point shots.

While he has garnered acclaim for his prowess on the offensive end, Harden has built a reputation as a poor defender. Criticism of his defense intensified in early 2014, when a video titled "James Harden: Defensive Juggernaut" featuring eleven minutes worth of clips of Harden conceding field goals, was circulated on the Internet. During the 2014 offseason, he committed to an improvement on defense, which manifested as early as August of that year as a member of the United States men's national basketball team. His improved defense carried over to the following season, and has been cited as a major reason for the Rockets' regular season success.

National team career

Harden was a member of the United States national team that won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, and was also a member of the team that won the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014.

NBA career statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

Led the league

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2009-10	Oklahoma City	76	0	22.9	.403	.375	.808	3.2	1.8	1.1	.3	9.9
2010-11	Oklahoma City	82	5	26.7	.436	.349	.843	3.1	2.1	1.1	.3	12.2
2011-12	Oklahoma City	62	2	31.4	.491	.390	.846	4.1	3.7	1.0	.2	16.8
2012-13	Houston	78	78	38.3	.438	.368	.851	4.9	5.8	1.8	.5	25.9
2013-14	Houston	73	73	38.0	.456	.366	.866	4.7	6.1	1.6	.4	25.4
2014-15	Houston	81	81	36.8	.440	.375	.868	5.7	7.0	1.9	.7	27.4
2015-16	Houston	82	82	38.1	.439	.359	.860	6.1	7.5	1.7	.6	29.0
Career		534	321	33.2	.443	.368	.855	4.6	4.9	1.5	.4	21.1
All-Star		4	2	24.3	.560	.500	.000	4.8	4.8	.8	.0	18.8

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2010	Oklahoma City	6	0	20.0	.387	.375	.842	2.5	1.8	1.0	.2	7.7
2011	Oklahoma City	17	0	31.6	.475	.303	.825	5.4	3.6	1.2	.8	13.0
2012	Oklahoma City	20	0	31.5	.435	.410	.857	5.1	3.4	1.6	.1	16.3
2013	Houston	6	6	40.5	.391	.341	.803	6.7	4.5	2.0	1.0	26.3
2014	Houston	6	6	43.8	.376	.296	.900	4.7	5.8	2.0	.2	26.8
2015	Houston	17	17	37.4	.439	.383	.916	5.7	7.5	1.6	.4	27.2
2016	Houston	5	5	38.6	.410	.310	.844	5.2	7.6	2.4	.2	26.6
Career		77	34	34.1	.425	.350	.867	5.2	4.8	1.6	.4	19.6

Personal life

Harden is a Christian. Harden has talked about his faith saying, "I just want to thank God for everything he has done in my life."

Harden started growing his trademark beard in 2009 after being too lazy to shave. His beard has appeared in songs and on T-shirts. The James Harden Illustrated project, by designer Filip Peraić, is about illustrating the bearded profile of James Harden in a variety of styles and techniques.

On August 3, 2015, the sports apparel company, Adidas, submitted an endorsement deal to Harden worth $200 million over the next 13 years.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]