Offensive Game
One of the three most prolific scorers in NBA history — his step-back three, ability to draw fouls at an elite rate, and layup creativity made him virtually unguardable at his peak. Three consecutive scoring titles.
Career Journey
Oklahoma City Thunder
2009-2012
James Harden is a scoring guard whose value comes from shot creation and off-ball movement with the Oklahoma City Thunder. His career is anchored by #3 all-time three-point leader — Third on the all-time three-point list with 2,900+ career threes..
Career highlights include: NBA Most Valuable Player — Won MVP in 2017-18 with the Houston Rockets, averaging 30.4 ppg.; 3x NBA Scoring Champion — Led the league in scoring 3 consecutive times (2018, 2019, 2020). Averaged 36.1 ppg in 2018-19.; #3 All-Time Three-Point Leader — Third on the all-time three-point list with 2,900+ career threes..
James Harden attended Arizona State.
Offensive Game
One of the three most prolific scorers in NBA history — his step-back three, ability to draw fouls at an elite rate, and layup creativity made him virtually unguardable at his peak. Three consecutive scoring titles.
Defensive Game
Defensive effort has been the most critiqued element of his career, though his length and hands make him capable of steals and deflections at volume when engaged.
Intangibles
All articles
James Harden spent eight seasons as the face of the Houston Rockets — winning an MVP, eight All-Star selections, and transforming the franchise into a perennial contender. When his playing days end, the case for #13 hanging in the Toyota Center rafters will be one of the strongest in Rockets history.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Thunder
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Houston Rockets
2012-2021
Brooklyn Nets
2021-2022
Philadelphia 76ers
2022-2023
Los Angeles Clippers
2023-2024
San Antonio Spurs
2024-present
Featured Achievements
#3 All-Time Three-Point Leader
2,900+ threes#3 All-Time
Third on the all-time three-point list with 2,900+ career threes.
NBA Most Valuable Player
1xWon MVP in 2017-18 with the Houston Rockets, averaging 30.4 ppg.
2017-18
3x NBA Scoring Champion
3xLed the league in scoring 3 consecutive times (2018, 2019, 2020). Averaged 36.1 ppg in 2018-19.
36.1 PPG Season
36.1 ppgAveraged 36.1 ppg in 2018-19 — the highest season average since Michael Jordan.
2018-19
10x NBA All-Star
10xAmong the highest offensive IQs in NBA history. His manipulation of defenses — using pace, angles, fouls, and spacing — reflects a chess-master understanding of offense that few have ever matched.
Personal Life & Family
Status
Private
Parents & Siblings
Off the Court
James Harden Foundation — youth education and community programs in Compton and Houston
Did You Know?
Harden, Durant, and Westbrook were all on the same OKC Thunder roster — three players who would each win MVP awards (Durant in 2014, Harden in 2018, Westbrook in 2017). No other franchise in NBA history has drafted three future MVPs in consecutive drafts.
The Harden-to-Houston trade in 2012 — sending James Harden for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, three first-round picks, and two second-rounders — was one of the most impactful trades of the 2010s, freeing Harden to become a superstar.
His 'step-back three' — the hesitation move that creates separation for a three-pointer — became the most imitated individual shot in the league during the late 2010s, spawning a generation of players practicing the move.
Harden grew up in Compton and was close friends with Kawhi Leonard as a teenager — two stars from the same community, from the same generation, who would become two of the most accomplished players of their era.
Career Honors
NBA MVP (2018)
Sixth Man of the Year (2012)
9x NBA All-Star
8x All-NBA Team
3x NBA Scoring Champion (2018-20)
NBA Assists Leader (2017)
Official Jerseys
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Traded to the Clippers for James Harden, Garland has done something unexpected: made Los Angeles's offense elite by doing less. A breakdown of the playmaking precision that makes him one of basketball's most efficient point guards.
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The Step-Back King
Signature Move
