If you want to read some great NBA Players' biographies, here’s a James Harden Biography that will let you know why this guy was one of the top basketball players in 2019.
James Harden Biography: Professional Career
Let’s start this bio with some impressive stats on Harden:
- NBA Most Valuable Player (2018)
- 7× NBA All-Star (2013–2019)
- 5× All-NBA First Team (2014, 2015, 2017–2019)
- All-NBA Third Team (2013)
- NBA Sixth Man of the Year (2012)
- 2× NBA scoring champion (2018, 2019)
- NBA assists leader (2017)
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2010)
- Consensus first-team All-American (2009)
- Pac-10 Player of the Year (2009)
- 2× First-team All-Pac-10 (2008, 2009)
- No. 13 retired by Arizona State
Oklahoma City Thunder
Harden began his NBA run back in 2009, when he was selected as the third overall pick during that year’s draft by the OKC Thunder. He began making history during his very first year in the league, as he managed to record the 4th highest three-point percentage for a player under 21.
During his time with the OKC franchise, Harden was also named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team, and received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award. He also helped the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals, where they got defeated by the Heat in 5 games.
The team tried to keep Harden, offering him a 4-year extension worth between $52 and $55 million, but James later stated that he was given too little time to value such an offer.
Houston Rockets
Harden officially became a player for the Rockets for the 2012-13 season. He was very well received in Houston because the GM Daryl Morey saw Harden as their star player, despite him only playing a supporting role for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook during his time with the Thunder.
With that in mind, the Rockets signed Harden to an amazing $80 million deal for five years.
James began his career in Houston with great results, because he finished with 37 points, a career-high 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and a single block during a 105-96 victory over the Pistons, the very same day he signed his new contract. He scored 45 points during his second regular-season game.
This turned Harden into the first player in the history of the league to score 82 points during his first two games, breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 79 points.
The following year he was named a reserve for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, his first All-Star selection.
Later on February 20, Harden managed to score a career-high 46 points in what turned out to be a 122-119 victory over the Thunder, his former team.
Harden’s numbers during his first campaign with the Rockets was so impressive, that he managed to reach 2,000 points, and he also joined Moses Malone as the only two Rockets players to reach 600 free throws during a single season.
The following campaign marked the second time Harden got selected as a reserve for the NBA All-Star Game.
2014-15 Season
On April 2014, Harden managed to score a career-high 51 points versus the Sacramento Kings, being this his 33rd, 30-point game of that year, and his 9th of more than 40 points for the same season.
In fact, these numbers turned Harden into the first player for the Rockets to score more than 50 points on two games during the very same campaign.
That very same season, he managed to help his team win their first divisional title since 1994, leading them to clinch the number two seed in the Western Conference.
He also finished second in the voting for NBA MVP, losing to Stephen Curry.
2015-16 / 2016-17 Seasons
James finished March 2016 with a total of 457 points, 152 assists, and 102 rebounds in a single month, and these figures allowed him to become the first player to come up with such amazing monthly stats since Oscar Robertson.
These stats also allowed Harden to convince the Rockets to grant him a 4-year extension worth $118 million which came with new responsibilities, as new coach Mike D’Antoni moved Harden from shooting guard to the point guard position for the 2016-17 season.
It seems like this was the right move, as Harden made NBA history during his team’s season opener, as his 30 points and 15 assists were just second to the 32 points and 18 assists from Tim Hardaway back in 1990.
2017-18 Season: Getting the MVP
Just a year after signing an extension, the Rockets let Harden know how valuable he was for the franchise by granting him a brand-new deal worth $160 million, allowing the player to count with a six-year deal worth $228 million guaranteed, being this the richest contract in the history of the league.
This year was also very impressive as Harden broke a lot of records and improved his own stats considerably. With such great performances, he helped the Rockets to finish their regular season as the number one seed, a first in the history of the franchise.
In the playoffs Houston managed to defeat the Timberwolves 4-1 in the first round to advance to the Conference Semifinals, where they managed to take down the Jazz also 4-1.
They fell to the Warriors 4-3 at the Conference Finals, allowing Golden State to advance to the finals, where they took the title by sweeping the Cavs 4-0.
Despite this loss, Harden was granted the first NBA Most Valuable Player award of his career.
2018-19 Season
The following season also proved very successful for Harden and the Rockets as the team reached the playoffs once again.
They began their postseason run versus the Jazz, a team they defeated by 4-1 in the first round.
Next, they faced their nemesis of the previous season, the Warriors, whom defeated them 4-2 during the Western Conference Semifinals.
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