In the basketball world today, James Harden's name is certainly loud. He is known for his distinctive beard, superb scoring ability and superior court performance. Harden's basketball career is a story full of challenges and brilliant achievements.
James Harden was born on August 26, 1989 in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Monica Harden, was a single mother who played an extremely important role in Harden's development. Despite her family's modest circumstances, Monica made sure her children were able to get an education and pursue their dreams.
Harden showed his love for basketball from an early age. He honed his skills on the street courts of Los Angeles and soon rose to prominence in local youth basketball leagues. Harden's first basketball coach noticed his potential and encouraged him to continue working hard. Harden's mother is also a staunch supporter, and she often takes him to various basketball camps and games to help him improve his skills.
Harden's high school basketball career began at Artesia High School in California. There, he quickly became the team's leader and scorer. Harden showed his scoring talent in high school when he was able to score in games with ease and led his team to multiple state titles. His outstanding performance has attracted the attention of college basketball coaches across the country, and many top universities are looking to recruit the young basketball talent.
In 2007, Harden chose Arizona State University to begin his college basketball career. There, he quickly became a key player in the team. Harden excelled in college and his all-around ability on the court made him one of the most watched players in the country. In his final season in college, he averaged more than 20 points per game and led his team to the NCAA tournament. Harden's college career gave him a solid foundation for the NBA.
Since entering the NBA in 2009, James Harden's name has been closely associated with a series of stunning statistics and outstanding performances. From the emergence of his rookie season, to the magnificent journey of becoming the league's scoring champion, to the leader who led the rise of the Rockets, Harden's every season is full of legends.
2009-10 season: Rising rookies
As the 2009 draft pick, Harden showed strong potential in his rookie season with the Thunder. He averaged 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. Although he is only a rookie, his scoring ability and athleticism have made people shine.2010-11 season: Steady growth
As the season progressed, Harden gradually adapted to the intensity of the NBA game. He is averaging 12.7 points per game and shooting 46 percent from the field. His performance on the offensive end is getting better and better, becoming an important scoring point for the Thunder.
2011-12: A flash of adversity
The Thunder have been plagued by injuries in the playoffs, but Harden has continued to play well in limited minutes. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. Although the Thunder lost in the finals, Harden's outstanding performance showed his great potential.
2012-13 season: Moved to the Rockets and emerged
In order to better develop, Harden was traded to the Rockets. Here, he began to show his potential as a scorer. He averaged 25.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. His outstanding performance helped the Rockets qualify for the playoffs.
2013-14: The road to the scoring title
Harden continued to improve his scoring in the following season, averaging 25.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game. He became the league's top scorer through accurate shooting and penetrating skills, and won the NBA scoring title for the first time.
2014-15 season: Leadership style
As the Rockets have added more players, Harden has become more important to the team. He averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field. His outstanding performance not only helped the team achieve a better record, but also made him the core leader of the team.
2015-16 season: Challenges and opportunities
During the season, Harden encountered some challenges, but still maintained an outstanding performance. He is averaging 29.0 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. His talent on the offensive end and in organizing teams is amazing.
2016-17 season: Honor and challenge
Harden has been even better this season, averaging 30.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. Not only did he win back-to-back scoring titles, he also became the first player in NBA history to average at least 30 points, five rebounds and eight assists per game. However, the Rockets' performance in the playoffs is not ideal, which also brings new challenges for Harden.
2017-18: Top of the league
During this season, Harden reached the peak of his career. He averaged 36.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. His performance was amazing, not only won the scoring title again, but also created a historical record of 36 points per game in a single season. However, the Rockets' performance in the playoffs is not satisfactory, which also brings new thinking and challenges to Harden's future.
Rockets career is Harden's highlight moment, 3 points to kill the Warriors blood, 1-3 behind to reverse the Clippers series, 60 points of junior double sky data. He has also scored at least 30 points in 32 consecutive games, the second-longest streak in NBA history.
After leaving the Rockets
James Harden spent eight seasons in Houston since joining the Rockets in 2012, becoming one of the greatest players in franchise history. However, in 2021, he left this familiar arena to join the Brooklyn Nets and start a new legendary journey.
2021-22 season: New challenges with the Nets
After leaving the Rockets, Harden joined the Brooklyn Nets, forming a luxury Big Three with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Despite suffering some injuries early in the season, Harden still showed strong scoring ability and playmaking talent. He averaged 20.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game while shooting 43 percent from the field. In the playoffs, the Nets performed well, but ultimately stopped short of the Eastern Conference finals.
2022-23 season: Injury plagued, re-emergence
In the 2022-23 season, Harden's performance declined due to injuries. He averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. Although the Nets lost again in the playoffs, Harden's efforts and contributions cannot be ignored.
Harden later joined the Philadelphia 76ers. Here, he teamed up with players like Joel Embiid and Terres Maxi to make a run at the championship. In the 2022-23 season, he averaged 21.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 10.8 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. His playmaking brilliance and scoring ability have been instrumental to the 76ers. However, the 76ers did not play well in the playoffs, and eventually stopped in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
