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 with the Thunder and helped the team reach the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat in five games. [229] Since his trade to the Houston Rockets in the 201213 NBA season, he has scored the most points in the NBA. James Sr., a previous Navy seaman, was mostly missing from his life . I was close a decade ago, so I remember the feeling of being on that stage. [202] On November 19, Harden recorded 36 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists in a 115113 win against the Orlando Magic. . 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 was a candidate for the 2016 Olympics, but he withdrew from the team. A championship team consists of players who all have roles. James Harden does not care about winning, raved Bayless on Fox Sports Undisputed the next day. Rockets Box Score April 7, 2019 ESPN", "With his steal in the second minute, James Harden officially joins Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 30 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals in a season", "Paul George inactive tonight for the Thunder. [252] Morey's tweet resulted in the Chinese Basketball Association's suspension of its relationship with the Houston Rockets. James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and they do not necessarily represent the views of Sportskeeda. [213] 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. [73] On February 3 against the Chicago Bulls, Harden scored his 10,000th point as a Rocket, passing Yao Ming for sixth place in franchise history. The 2013 NBA Championship ring, had two NBA Championship Trophies on the ring. Im willing to take less to put us in position to accomplish that.. [23], 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 10596 win over the Detroit Pistons. How many rings does James Harden have? James Harden's Stats. and the Sixers are Harden's best option to secure the championship ring that has eluded him so far in his career [119] On February 21, in the Rockets' first game after the All-Star break, Harden scored 30 points against the Los Angeles Lakers for his 32nd consecutive game with 30-plus points. [75] On February 15, he recorded his 15th triple-double of the season with 38 points 12 rebounds and 12 assists in a 117109 loss to the Miami Heat. Harden is a two-time member of the United States national team, winning gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 FIBA World Cup. [32] He tied that mark with 45 points against the Trail Blazers on February 8, 2015. [17] He averaged 25.9 points (fifth-best in the NBA), 4.9 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 78 games (all starts), becoming just the fifth player in team history to reach 2,000 points in one campaign (2,023 points). [32] He topped that mark with 51 points against the Kings on April 1, 2015. He played just 29 minutes against the Suns to become the first Rockets player since Sleepy Floyd in 1991 to score 40 points in less than 30 minutes. Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports. [234], While he has garnered acclaim for his prowess on the offensive end, Harden has built a reputation as a poor defender. When he arrived I thought that playing with a talent like Joel was supposed to be the desired outcome. [195][196], In Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, Harden posted a triple-double with 34 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 123109 win to close out the series. When it comes to free agency, the reports of Harden's thought . If traded to Philadelphia, Harden would presumably get to work with Joel Embiid . [47] On March 25, he recorded his third triple-double of the season with 32 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 112109 win over the Toronto Raptors. [197] In the first minute of Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference semifinals, Harden re-injured his hamstring and missed the remainder of the game, as well as the next three games of the series. [84] Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to have at least 10 assists and shoot better than 75 percent from the field in a 50-point performance. 5. James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). [211] 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 125109 win against the New York Knicks. A month from turning 33, Harden is working his way back from a hamstring injury that limited him to 65 games between Brooklyn and Philadelphia last season. He surpassed Moses Malone's team mark for free throws made in a season (630 FTM in 198182), joining Malone as the only two Rockets players to ever reach 600 free throws made in a single season. [164] He became the league's scoring champion for the third season in a row and the league leader in total steals. [218], 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 202324 season. [28] On December 11, 2014, he scored a season-high 44 points in a 113109 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings. [173][174] On February 22, Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, after leading the Nets to four straight wins. . 7d; 0:19. In 2010, James moved to the Miami Heat and formed a strong roster with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. It does not make matters any better knowing that he has one of the league's worst shooters this season in Russell Westbrook as his teammate. James Harden acknowledged that his brief tenure with Brooklyn was "frustrating" after the 76ers' 101-98 win over the Nets on Saturday in his return to Barclays Center. He became the first player to have at least 33 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists in a game since Wilt Chamberlain had 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists for Philadelphia in March 1968. Your login session has expired. But now with Kevin Durant & Kyrie Irving, among other All-Stars, to support him, Harden's chances of winning a ring look stronger than ever. James Edward Harden Jr. was born upon August 26, 1989, in Los Angeles, The Golden State. [161] He became the Western Conference player of the month for December for his historical and efficient scoring tear during the month. [26] At the season's end, he earned All-NBA First Team honors. Harden has won two NBA championships, three Western Conference Championships, and is a nine-time NBA All-Star. James Harden's talent is transcendent and he is an MVP player every single season because . 7d; 0:18. 7d; 0:30. [209], 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. The official definition reads: "The correlation between beard panache and step-back threes/free-throw attempts." After crunching some numbers, I've calculated Harden's BER to be a perfect 100. [139][140] In Game 3 against the Jazz, he had one of the worst shooting nights of his career when he started the game 0-of-15, a figure breaking the NBA playoff record for most missed consecutive shots without a make in a game since Michael Jordan went 0-of-11 in an 8780 loss against the Miami Heat in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals. throughout his decade-plus career in the NBA despite being a 10-time all-star, six-time all-NBA first team selection, 2018 NBA MVP, three-time scoring champion, named to the leagues 75th anniversary team, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA. [17] Harden helped the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals, where they were defeated in five games by the Miami Heat. Houston would satisfy that demand, but it would have to get a king . At the season's end, he was unanimously selected to his fifth All-NBA First Team, and he was announced a finalist for the MVP award. Houston was eliminated from the playoffs in the second round by the Lakers. [48] Harden finished March with 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 it in December 1967. Unhappy with the failure of the Oklahoma City Thunder to offer him a max contract, he refused their contract extension offer when it was substantially under the max. A certain Houston Rocket player begs to differ. Paul Millsap. The rumors surrounding Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden and the Houston Rockets continue to grow louder. Harden came close to winning one in his third season as a key reserve for that loaded Oklahoma City Thunder team, but the Thunder would lose the series in five to LeBron James and the Miami Heat . 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. 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 201415 season until the 201920 season. [101] In Game 4 against the Warriors, Harden scored a game-high 30 points to help the Rockets even the series at 22 with a 9592 win. Harden demanded a trade in November 2020, and reported to training camp late. The . He played in three other Western Conference finals as a member of the . James Harden. [152][153][154], On December 11, 2019, Harden got his fourth 50-point game of the season with 55 points on an efficient 20-of-34 field goal shooting and 10-of-18 from three in a 116110 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. [107] By the end of December, Harden had carried the Rockets to a 2115 record with fellow All-Star Chris Paul out with a hamstring injury. Harden was a D'Antoni fan and likely . Even if James Harden broke the scoring record and scored 100 points in a game, there's still one thing keeping him from being the greatest Rockets player ever -- A RING!! He became the fourth player in NBA history with multiple games of 10 or more 3-pointers, joining Stephen Curry (15), Klay Thompson (5), and J.R. Smith (3). [126] For these performances, he received his fourth Western Conference Player of the Week honor of the 201819 season. [93] He missed seven games as a result. [58] On December 14, he recorded 15 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in just three quarters to lead the Rockets to a 13298 win over the Sacramento Kings. Basketball was, is and always will be a team game. Players Name. "My third year we lost in the Finals," Harden said in the GQ interview. On February 5, 2014 against the Phoenix Suns, Harden played in his 120th game with Houston, scoring 23 points on 12-for-12 from the foul line to become just the third player to score at least 3,000 points in his first 120 games played with the Rockets, joining Elvin Hayes (3,320) and Tracy McGrady (3,056). [7] Harden had 34 points in the victory over a DC Assault team which included Michael Beasley, Nolan Smith and Austin Freeman. Harden won his first NBA Championship during the 2017 season with the Rockets. [11], Harden finished his sophomore campaign with averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. does james harden have a championship ring does james harden have a championship ring. [32] In the Rockets' regular season finale on April 15, Harden recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 11791 win over the Utah Jazz. [104] In June, Harden was named the NBA Most Valuable Player for the 201718 season, becoming the third player in franchise history to receive the award, joining Moses Malone (197879 and 198182) and Hakeem Olajuwon (199394). [78] He placed second in league MVP voting to former teammate Westbrook. [162], In the Rockets first game after the suspension of the season due to COVID-19, Harden became the second highest scorer in franchise history after a 49 point, 9 rebound, 8 assist, 3 steal, 3 block, and 1 turnover performance on 70% shooting from the field in a 153149 comeback overtime victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Robin Lundberg: No one knows exactly which teams will benefit from the NBA's extended layoff. [193][194] After missing 18 games due to a strained hamstring, Harden returned to action on May 12. In the Rockets' 122110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Harden helped the team set an NBA-record with 24 three-pointers, as he finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists. Make no mistake about it, James Harden is probably the most gifted offensive player in the game today. He wanted to ring chase with a dominant big man. Basketball is my first passion, but I have so many interests off the court, Harden says. [183], On March 15, Harden registered his tenth triple-double as a Net with 21 points, 15 assists and 15 rebounds in a 117112 victory against the New York Knicks, becoming the first player in franchise history to log at least 15 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists in a game. James Harden is no longer employed by the Houston Rockets. There's so many questions after seeing this video. [92] The following day, he was ruled out for two weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain. He helped the Rockets win their first division title since 1994 and clinched the No. Charles Barkley, one of the NBA's all-time great stars, who alongside icons like Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing infamously never won a championship, says he simply has to live with that fact and . After his freshman year, Harden was named first-team All-Pac-10 and was named to the conference all-freshman team. Thats all that matters to me at this stage. With this game, Harden joins Klay Thompson and Kobe Bryant as the only players to hit 60 points in just three quarters. [32] On February 23, 2015, he recorded his second triple-double of the season with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 113102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Reviewing the first-round series, Harden said the Nets learned the importance of playing physical defense. [64] Two days later, he recorded his ninth triple-double of the season in a win over the Washington Wizards[65] and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for a third time. He was twice named Western Conference Player of the Week during the season, both coming in consecutive weeks (February 24 March 2; March 39). Harden tied his season low of 10 points, shooting 2-of-11 before fouling out with 3:15 remaining. Harden said he relies on the suite of products from Therabody, a company he invested in via his 13 Endeavors in February 2021, that have become a part of my lifestyle., You know when youre younger, you can just get up, go, play and run around, and everything is great, he says. Harden joined Tracy McGrady (four times in 200405) and Hakeem Olajuwon (three times in 199293) as the only Rockets to ever capture Player of the Week honors three or more times in one season. Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to eclipse the 57 points Calvin Murphy scored in 1978 to break Houston's single-game scoring record. His 7,044 made free throws rank ninth on the . Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA history.[1][2][3][4][5]. 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 . Reports indicate Harden continued to enjoy going out as he forced his way off the Rockets and Nets. [114] On January 23, he scored a career-high 61 points to go with 15 rebounds in a 114110 win over the New York Knicks, thus setting the fourth-longest streak for 30-point games in NBA history at 21at the time, Wilt Chamberlain held the three longer streaks (65, 31 and 25). [162] He finished the decade as the NBA's leading scorer with 19,578 points going back to January 1, 2010 despite beginning his career as a sixth man with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden DeRozan P. George Butler Lilliard Beal Gobert Like what if Lilliard and Gobert took a pay cut and went to the Clippers (Gobert would probably be taking a role cut, too). I dream about winning (a championship), says Harden, who lost in the 2012 NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, all this comes at the cost of one thing - team chemistry. There's always one superlative superstar , a second option that might not be good as the first but is better than most , a third option and support players who know exactly what their rol. One is no longer with the Nets, while the other can't play home games. The Bucks won the regular-season series 2-1, and their Big 3 of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and All-Stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday averaged 85.3 points against the Nets. [242][243] He has talked about his faith, saying, "I just want to thank God for everything he has done in my life". Not only is he focused on staying healthy and finding more rhythm with the Sixers, but Harden is working on his brand and businesses off the court as well, especially during the offseason, which comes as no surprise as his $74.4 million ranks him No. This trio helped the Miami Heat win their first NBA championship in 2012. [155] He continued his scoring rampage in the following 130107 win against the Orlando Magic on December 13, 2019, where he got his second 50-point game in a rowthe third time in his career where he has scored back-to-back 50-point games[156]with 54 points on 19-of-31 field goal shooting and 10-of-15 from three, in addition to seven assists, and five rebounds. Hardly hyperbole, there has been no shortage of criticism of James Harden throughout his decade-plus career in the NBA despite being a 10-time all-star, six-time all-NBA first team selection, 2018 NBA MVP, three-time scoring champion, named to the leagues 75th anniversary team, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist with Team USA. [88] On December 9, he scored 48 points to help the Rockets rally from a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124117, scoring at least 20 points in each of Houston's 24 games, becoming only the second player to accomplish such a feat since the 199091 season. Chamberlain did so in 10 straight seasons from 1959 to 1969", "Hawks vs. It was back to back championships for Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James by beating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA finals. JH: Well, he's really good.But in all seriousness, he's as humble as . Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. [17] On February 20, 2013, Harden scored a career-high 46 points in a 122119 win over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden is the youngest of three children. What do you enjoy about playing with him? Antetokounmpo dropped 50 points against the series-clinching Game 6 victory against the Phoenix Suns to win his first ring and bring the Milwaukee Bucks their first championship since 1971. Back in 2019, Kobe Bryant had reasoned that the playing style of James Harden was never going to win him any championships. Bleacher Report put together their list of the best players who have never won a ring and Harden popped up on the list ranked 9th on their list: His 23,477 points scored rank 28th on the NBA's all-time scoring list, with a significant chunk coming from three-point range and the free-throw line. But there is a school of thought that because of their smaller lineup and the load put on James Harden . He cares about being ranked in the NBA's All-Time Top 75, and he is.. To be truly successful and win that coveted NBA championship, Harden will have to start trusting his teammates a lot more and create a system like the one the Golden State Warriors adopted during their historic 2015-2019 run. [134][135][136][137] He finished the season with the largest scoring margin (8.1 points per game) over the second-leading scorer since Wilt Chamberlain in 196263. [214], 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 131111 win over the Toronto Raptors. With the Nets, he was named to his ninth and tenth consecutive All-Star games. James Harden's childhood photo with mother Monja. His 24 shot attempts are the fewest ever in a 60-point game in NBA history. [14] He employed Rob Pelinka as his agent.[15]. 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). Oh Well, And Here Comes The NFL. James Harden has won 0 rings. Another year, another disappointing exit from the playoffs for James Harden.This season, probably no other player was favored to win the championship as The Beard. [216] On May 8, Harden had 31 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in a 116108 Game 4 win over the Miami Heat. [17] 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. [38] Harden was later voted the inaugural National Basketball Players Association's MVP for the 201415 season. Artesia repeated as state champions in Harden's final year after going 332. [67], His 10th and 11th triple-doubles came in back-to-back games on January 8 and 10, both resulting in wins. Harden, who has been heralded as one of the games most prolific scorers, was criticized for not scoring any points in the second half of the Sixers 99-90 loss in Game 6; he finished with 11 points. James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant (not pictured) were supposed to carry the Brooklyn Nets into the NBA finals. He subsequently became the first Rocket to score 43-plus points in consecutive games since Malone had two streaks of three games doing so during the 198182 season. He had an equity stake in BodyArmor and scored a sizable payout when Coca-Cola bought the brand in 2021. [227] 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 85.7% shooter. 31 on the NBA all-time career scoring list. [198] Harden made his return in Game 5 of the series, a 114108 comeback win. Two days later, he scored 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks. [175] The following day, Harden was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, marking his ninth consecutive All-Star selection. [+] (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images). Basketball legend Kobe Bryant has criticized Harden's playing style in the past saying Harden's ball-dominant style while impressive and perhaps even necessary, will not help the Rockets win an NBA title. Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA history.. The sport is about getting all 5 members on the floor involved both offensively and defensively. I love wine and I want my passions to be accessible to everyone., This is a BETA experience. [238] Harden has also received criticism for not being clutch in key playoff games.[239][240]. The Philadelphia 76ers made the big move, acquiring James Harden from the Brooklyn Nets at the deadline, and there was an immediate report that he had agreed to opt in on his contract, which has a player option for the 2022-23, as part of the deal. He was named to the Wooden Award preseason watch list. 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. . [109] In the following game on January 13, Harden scored 38 points but was just 1 for 17 on 3-point attempts in a 116109 loss to the Orlando Magic. He has also led the league in scoring three times, and is currently ranked sixth all-time in points per game. Is it too farfetched to assume Harden will get anywhere close to $30-$40 million for around $120 million? James Harden has always been a great regular season player, even during his 6th Man days with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Rockets made 61 percent of their first-half shots to get the second-most points in a first half in NBA history. Getty James Harden #1 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Miami Heat . He additionally became a finalist for the MVP award and was named to the NBA's All-Seeding First Team. "And we just came off USA Basketball . Harden led the franchise to an Eastern Conference-best 94 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. [80] The Rockets were eliminated by the Spurs with a 11475 loss in Game 6. [251], On October 4, 2019, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey issued a tweet that supported the 201920 Hong Kong protests.