James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely regarded as one of the greatest shooting guards and scorers in NBA history. In 2021, Harden was honored as one of the league's top 75 players by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Harden is also a two-time member of the United States national team, winning gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 FIBA World Cup. Harden is nicknamed "the Beard" after his characteristic facial hair.
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. Harden 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 2018 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.
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Early life
James Harden was born on August 26, 1989, in Compton, California to Monja Willis and James Harden, Sr. His father was largely absent from his life, and he was raised primarily by his mother. He originally played baseball, but around age 10, started focusing more on basketball.
He shares two older half-siblings through his father, sister Arniq Jelks and brother Akili Roberson, who played quarterback for Kansas in 1997.
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 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
In Harden's freshman year, Arizona State was picked to finish ninth in the Pac-10 Conference. Behind his 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, the Sun Devils went 21–13 (9–9) and finished tied for fifth in the Pac-10. They were considered a bubble team for the 2008 NCAA tournament. Left out of the 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. He 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 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. 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.
Professional career
Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–2012)
Harden was selected with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. He recorded the fourth highest 3-point percentage in NBA history (.375) for a player under the age of 21 (minimum of 150 attempts) during the 2009–10 season. He connected on seven straight 3-point field goals over two games (November 18 and 20), recording the most consecutive 3-point makes by a rookie since Houston guard Michael Dickerson made eight straight in May 1999. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at the conclusion of the season.
During the 2010–11 season, he scored 10-plus points on 54 occasions, including a season-high 26 points against the Phoenix Suns on March 6, 2011.
Harden averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 62 games (two starts) during the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, as he received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.
Harden scored in double-figures in all but four of his appearances during the season. He scored a season-high 40 points against Phoenix on April 18, 2012, becoming the first NBA player in a reserve role to score 40 points since Dallas guard Rodrigue Beaubois in March 2010. Harden helped the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals, where they were defeated in five games by the Miami Heat.
During the 2012 free agency period, Oklahoma City attempted to sign Harden to a four-year contract extension worth between $52 and $55 million. Harden later contended that he was given too little time to consider the offer.
Houston Rockets (2012–2021)
After failing to agree on a contract extension with the Thunder, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets on October 27, 2012, along with Daequan Cook, Cole Aldrich, and Lazar Hayward, in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first round picks (which became Steven Adams in 2013 and Mitch McGary in 2014), and a second round pick (which became Álex Abrines in 2013). 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, 2012, Harden signed a contract extension with the Rockets for five years worth $80 million.
That same day, he became the first-ever NBA player to score 37 or more points while registering a double-digit assist total in his team debut, posting 37 points, a career-high 12 assists, six rebounds, four steals and one block in a 105–96 win over the Detroit Pistons. He became just the fourth NBA player in the last 25 years to post those totals in a single game and matched the third-highest point total for any NBA player in his team debut (most for Rockets debut). Two days later, he scored 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks. His 82 total points were the most scored by a player in his first two games with a team in NBA history, surpassing the previous mark held by Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 79 points in his first two career games with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959. He registered the first triple-double of his career on February 2, 2013, against the Charlotte Bobcats, recording 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. Harden was named as a reserve for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, marking his first All-Star selection. He recorded 15 points, six rebounds and three assists in a 143–138 win by the West over the East. On February 20, 2013, Harden scored a career-high 46 points in a 122–119 win over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Harden had one of the greatest statistical seasons in team history in his first campaign with Houston. He became just the fifth player in team history to reach 2,000 points in one campaign (2,023 points). He surpassed Moses Malone's team mark for free throws made in a season (630 FTM in 1981–82), joining Malone as the only two Rockets players to ever reach 600 free throws made in a single season. Harden joined Gilbert Arenas (2005–06 and 2006–07), Kobe Bryant (2005–06 and 2007–08) and Jerry Stackhouse (2000–01) as the only four players in NBA history to record at least 600 free throws made and hit 150 or more 3-pointers in one season. Harden joined Tracy McGrady (four times in 2004–05) and Hakeem Olajuwon (three times in 1992–93) as the only Rockets to ever capture Player of the Week honors three or more times in one season. He was named to the 2012–13 All-NBA Third Team, marking his first career All-NBA Team selection while becoming just the seventh player in Rockets history to earn All-NBA recognition.
Brooklyn Nets (2021–2022)
Near the end of 2020, Harden requested a trade to the Brooklyn Nets, intending to form a superteam with former teammate Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. On January 14, 2021, Harden was traded to the Nets in a four-team deal which involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, sending Rodions Kurucs, Dante Exum, Victor Oladipo, four first-round draft picks and four first-round pick swaps to the Rockets. On January 16, he recorded 32 points, 12 rebounds and 14 assists in a 122–115 win over the Orlando Magic, becoming the first player in franchise history and the seventh player in NBA history to log a triple-double in their team debut. Harden also set the record for being the first player in NBA history to post a 30-point triple-double debut performance, while also setting a franchise record for the most assists in a player's first game with the Nets.
On February 2, Harden earned his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor, after logging a double-double average with 25.3 points and 11.3 assists over three games. On February 19, Harden posted a double-double with 23 points and 11 assists in a 108–98 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming the first player in franchise history to log a double-double in eleven consecutive games. On February 22, Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, after leading the Nets to four straight wins. He averaged 31.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. The following day, Harden was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, marking his ninth consecutive All-Star selection.
On March 1, Harden logged his seventh career triple-double as a Net with 30 points, 15 assists and 14 rebounds in a 124–113 overtime victory against the San Antonio Spurs, giving the franchise their first win in San Antonio in 19 years. In his efforts, Harden became the first player in league history to post a 30–15–10 stat line with zero turnovers in a game since individual turnovers were first tracked during the 1977–78 season. The following day, Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of February. The honor was the eleventh of his career and first as a Net, making him the first Net to win the award since Vince Carter in April 2007. Harden led the franchise to an Eastern Conference-best 9–4 record in February, recording averages of 25.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, an Eastern Conference-leading 10.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 36.8 minutes per game. On March 13, Harden logged his ninth triple-double as a Net with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 100–95 win against the Detroit Pistons, surpassing Larry Bird on the league's all-time scoring list. He now sits at 34th overall with 21,792 points, one more point than Bird.
Philadelphia 76ers (2022–2023)
On February 10, 2022, the Nets traded Harden and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round selections. Harden switched to No. 1 from the No. 13 he had worn through his entire professional career up to that point, as No. 13 was retired by the 76ers for Wilt Chamberlain. On February 25, Harden made his Sixers debut, putting up 27 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds in a 133–102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the following game on February 27, Harden logged his 68th career triple-double and first as a 76er with a season-high 16 assists to go with his 29 points, 10 rebounds and five steals in a 125–109 win against the New York Knicks. He became the first player in NBA history to record 25 plus points and 10 or more assists in his first two games with a new team. On March 10, in a game against the Nets, Harden made his 2,561st career three-pointer to pass Reggie Miller (2,560) for third place in total NBA career three-pointers made, behind Ray Allen and Stephen Curry.
On April 16, during Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Harden recorded a double-double of 22 points and 14 assists in a 131–111 win over the Toronto Raptors. On April 28, Harden had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 15 assists in a 132–97 Game 6 win, to help the Sixers advance to East semifinals. On May 8, Harden had 31 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a 116–108 Game 4 win over the Miami Heat. Harden scored 16 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter to tie the series at 2–2. Philadelphia was eliminated by Miami in Game 6, when Harden scored 11 points and committed four turnovers. His last basket came with 3:31 left in the second quarter.
On July 27, 2022, Harden re-signed with the 76ers on a two-year, $68.6 million deal which includes a player option for the 2023–24 season. On December 9, Harden scored 28 points and delivered 12 assists in a 134–133 overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He joined LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history with 23,000 career points and 6,500 career assists. On December 23, Harden put up a triple-double with 20 points, 21 assists, and 11 rebounds in a 119–114 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in Sixers history to put up a 20-assist triple-double and his 21 assists tied Chamberlain and Maurice Cheeks for the most assists in a game in Sixers history. On February 23, Harden posted 31 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in a 110–105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Los Angeles Clippers (2023–2026)
On November 1, 2023, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Harden, P. J. Tucker, and Filip Petrušev from the 76ers in exchange for Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Robert Covington. As part of the trade, the Clippers dealt a first-round pick, two second-round picks, a pick swap, and cash considerations to the 76ers, while sending a pick swap and cash considerations to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The trade reunited Harden with Russell Westbrook for the second time in their careers.
Harden made his Clippers debut on November 6 against the New York Knicks, finishing with 17 points and six assists in 31 minutes as the Clippers lost 111–97. On November 17, Harden put up 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and a game-winning three-pointer in a 106–100 win over the Houston Rockets. On December 14, Harden posted 28 points, 15 assists, seven rebounds and four blocks in a 121–113 win over the Golden State Warriors. He became the 24th player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points. On December 18, Harden scored 21 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter, and dished out nine assists on 12-of-16 shooting, 8-of-11 from three, 3-of-3 from the free throw line in a 151–127 win over the Indiana Pacers.
On January 26, 2024, Harden recorded his 75th career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 127–107 win over the Toronto Raptors. On February 2, Harden and Russell Westbrook became the third pair of 25,000-point scorers to play together in NBA history in a 136–125 win over the Detroit Pistons. They joined LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony for the 2021–22 Lakers and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce for the 2013–14 Nets. On March 17, Harden passed Vince Carter for the 20th place on the league's all-time scoring list. On April 4, in a game against the Denver Nuggets, Harden became the fourth player in NBA history to achieve at least 25,000 career points, 7,000 career assists, and 6,000 career rebounds, joining LeBron James, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook.
On July 10, 2024, Harden re-signed with the Clippers on a two-year, $70 million contract.
On November 2, 2024, Harden recorded his 78th career triple-double, tying Wilt Chamberlain for seventh in NBA history, as he finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 125–119 loss against the Phoenix Suns. He also became the 20th player in NBA history to reach 26,000 points in his career. On November 15, Harden tied Ray Allen's record of second place in total NBA career three-pointers made, behind Stephen Curry, in a 125–104 loss against his former team the Houston Rockets. On November 17, Harden broke a tie with Ray Allen to solely secure second place in total NBA career three-pointers made, behind Stephen Curry, in a game against the Utah Jazz. On November 27, Harden put up 43 points in a 121–96 win over the Washington Wizards. It was his 100th career 40-point game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant as the only players in NBA history with at least 100 40-point games. On December 1, Harden posted a near triple-double with 39 points, 9 rebounds and 11 assists in a 126–122 win over the Denver Nuggets. He also scored his 3,000th career three-pointer, joining Curry as the only players to reach the milestone.
Cleveland Cavaliers (2026–present)
On February 4, 2026, the Cleveland Cavaliers acquired Harden from the Clippers in exchange for Darius Garland and a second-round pick. On February 7, Harden made his Cavaliers debut, putting up 23 points, with 15 scored in the fourth quarter, and eight assists in a 132–126 win over the Sacramento Kings. On February 24, in a win against the New York Knicks, Harden had sustained a fracture in his right thumb. Despite having the fracture, Harden claims how he will play through the injury. On March 8, Harden scored 21 points along with five rebounds and five assists in the Cavaliers’ 115–101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, surpassing the 29,000-point mark for his NBA career and becoming the ninth player in league history to reach the milestone. On August 20, 2026, the Cavaliers and Harden agreed to a 3-year, $97 million contract extension to remain with the team.
Player profile
Standing at 6 feet 5 inches tall (1.96 m) in shoes and weighing 220 pounds (100 kg), Harden plays mostly at the shooting guard position, but he is capable of playing the point guard position. He is the highest all-time left-handed scorer in NBA history. With season averages of over 25 points per game from the 2012–13 season to the 2019-2020 season, Harden is considered one of the most versatile and dangerous scorers in the NBA. ESPN named him the 5th best shooter in the NBA throughout the entire 2010s decade. He possesses a wide array of offensive moves; two of the most prominent among them being his Euro step and his step-back jumper.
Since his trade to the Houston Rockets in the 2012–13 NBA season, he has scored the most points in the NBA. He is the all-time NBA leader in unassisted three-point makes. 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 86.3% shooter. He is the all-time leader in 3-point shooting fouls drawn, and he led the NBA in free throw attempts and makes every year from the 2014–15 season until the 2019–20 season. Though primarily a scorer, Harden is also known for his playmaking ability, orchestrating the Rockets' offense with his elevated assist numbers. During the early portion of the 2016–17 season, Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni played Harden at point guard, which resulted in him averaging over 10 assists per game for the first time in his career. He is also the all-time franchise leader in assists for the Rockets.
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. Another negative aspect of his game that is sometimes brought up by pundits are his turnovers. Harden set the NBA record for turnovers during the 2015–16 season and broke it again the following season. Harden has also received criticism for not being clutch in key playoff games, notably losing all Game 7 matchups with four different teams. His 3-point percentage drops to 22.4% during those games.
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. Harden was a candidate for both the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, however, he withdrew from the team on both occasions, with his withdrawal in 2020 due to a hamstring injury sustained during the postseason.
Awards and honors
NBA
NBA Most Valuable Player: 2018
11× NBA All-Star: 2013–2022, 2025
8× All-NBA Team selections:
6× First Team: 2014, 2015, 2017–2020
2× Third Team: 2013, 2025
NBA Sixth Man of the Year: 2012
3× NBA scoring champion: 2018–2020
2× NBA assists leader: 2017, 2023
3× NBA three-point scoring leader: 2018–2020
7× NBA free throw scoring leaders: 2013, 2015–2020
NBA minutes played leaders: 2016
NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2010
NBA Bubble All-Seeding Games First Team: 2020
NBA 75th Anniversary Team
USA Basketball
Olympics gold medalist: 2012
FIBA World Cup gold medalist: 2014
Career statistics
Personal life
Harden was born in Los Angeles, California. He is the youngest of three children. Before his birth, after that of his older sister, their mother suffered a string of miscarriages. With a 10 year age gap between Harden and his older siblings, she nicknamed him “Lucky”. Harden is a Christian. He 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 T-shirts, and it earned him an endorsement and a unique candy with Trolli's where a depiction of his face and beard was shown on each gummy.
On August 3, 2015, the sports apparel company Adidas submitted an endorsement deal to Harden worth $200 million over the next 13 years. On July 18, 2019, Harden became a part owner in Houston's professional soccer teams; the Houston Dynamo of MLS and the Houston Dash of NWSL. Harden explained his decision by saying "Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and expand my business interests at the same time" as well as "This is my city and I'm here to stay".
Harden revealed on the TV series Starting 5 that he has a son named Jace.
On June 13, 2026, Harden was arrested for criminal possession of a weapon inside a motor vehicle in Houston, Texas. He was released on bond that banned him from possessing any weapon or ammunition and consuming alcohol, controlled substances, drugs, or marijuana. He was also ordered to submit to a random urinalysis and a court date was scheduled for June 22.In August 2026, all charges relating to the gun were dismissed by a Texas judge following Harden's completion of a alternative resolution program to avoid a criminal record.
Political views
On October 4, 2019, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey issued a tweet that supported the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests. Morey's tweet resulted in the Chinese Basketball Association's suspension of its relationship with the Houston Rockets. Harden later apologized to China, saying, "We apologize. We love China."
On July 17, 2020, Harden was widely criticized and mocked online for wearing a pro-police mask, which has been said to be related to white supremacy and the Blue Lives Matter movement. Atlanta rapper Young Thug stated on Twitter that "he don't have internet" in defense of Harden and indicated that he had not been aware of the controversy. The interaction became a widely shared internet meme among social media users, specifically in online rap and NBA groups.