James Harden

Harden was born to James Edward Harden and Monja Harden and was largely raised by his mother. He grew up in Compton, California, with a sister and a half brother.

In 2015, Harden began a relationship with Khloé Kardashian. They later separated in February 2016.

Harden initially concentrated on baseball, playing first base and pitching. At about age 10, he developed an interest in basketball while playing for a recreational team in Los Angeles's Watts district.

At Artesia High School in Lakewood, California, he led the school to consecutive state championships as a junior and senior. He also played for the Pump-N-Run Elite team, which won a 2006 AAU tournament.

Harden played college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. In his freshman season, he averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, led the Pac-10 in steals, and earned first-team all-conference and all-freshman honors. In his second season, he averaged 20.1 points and 4.2 assists per game, won Pac-10 Player of the Year, and became a consensus All-American.

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Harden third overall in the 2009 NBA draft. He came off the bench during his first three seasons, made the All-Rookie second team in 2010, and won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award in 2012. The Thunder reached the NBA Finals that season but lost to the Miami Heat. Harden also won an Olympic gold medal with the U.S. men's basketball team at the 2012 London Olympics. He was teammates with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City.

Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets before the 2012-13 season and moved into the starting lineup. He made his first NBA All-Star team in 2013 and became the central player on a Rockets team that reached the playoffs. In the 2014-15 season, he averaged 27.4 points and seven assists per game and finished second in MVP voting behind Stephen Curry.

Harden won the NBA MVP award in the 2017-18 season after averaging 30.4 points and 8.8 assists per game. He also won his first scoring title. He led the NBA in scoring again in 2018-19 and 2019-20, averaging 36.1 and 34.3 points per game, respectively, and set the NBA single-season record for three-point attempts with 1,028 in 2018-19.

After requesting a trade in 2020, Harden joined the Brooklyn Nets in early 2021. He was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2021-22 season, where he played alongside Joel Embiid. In October 2023, he was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers, joining Kawhi Leonard. Harden later joined the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Harden's step-back three-pointer became his signature offensive move. The technique creates space by having him step backward before releasing the shot, and its popularity contributed to the increase in three-point attempts across basketball.

He has won three NBA scoring titles and received six All-NBA first-team selections. During the 2023-24 season, he scored his 25,000th career point, becoming the seventh NBA player to reach that mark. His full beard also became a defining part of his public image and inspired dedicated social-media pages.

Harden founded the Impact13 Foundation in 2021. The nonprofit focuses on community development, education, entrepreneurship, the arts, fashion, and sports in disadvantaged communities.