James Edward Harden Jr. is an American basketball player who plays for the Brooklyn Nets team in the NBA. He was selected in the 2009 NBA draft and is considered the best shooting guard in the NBA. Rising from his college basketball career to success, he made a name for himself while setting multiple records as a professional NBA player.
Early life
James was born on August 26, 1989 in Los Angeles, California, United States. He was born into a Christian family and belongs to the black ethnic group. He is the youngest of three siblings and has an older sister, but not much is available about his siblings. It is known that before his birth his mother suffered several miscarriages.
He was born to his parents James Harden Sr and Monja Willis. His father worked in the Navy while his mother worked at AT&T in Pasadena. He became more and more attached to his mother and didn’t have much attachment to his father. He is left-handed and suffers from asthma and spends most of his time playing video basketball games.
James attended Artesia High School in Lakewood and was introduced to the school’s basketball program. He decided to join the school team as his asthma was under control. James played every three years at school and was also the Mc Donalds All-American in his freshman year. In 2007 he graduated from high school and entered Arizona State College. James also joined the college basketball team and finished as an All-Pac 10 in his freshman year. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2009.
James Harden career
James began his career in high school playing for the school team, followed by his college career for the Arizona State University team. In 2008, the team was considered the bubble team for the 2008 NCAA tournament. In his freshman year, James was named an all-district by NABC and USBWA, and in his sophomore year, he was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Basketball Preview Issue. He was later drafted for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 NBA draft, and his performance in his freshman season earned him the NBA All-Rookie Second-Team title. The following season, he received NBA honors for sixth man of the year.
Later, at the end of the season, he did not renew his contract with the team and instead switched to the Houston Rockets. He began setting new records with Houston in the 2012-23 season, becoming Player of the Week more than three times. James was also honored as a third All-NBA team and continued his reign over the next several seasons as an MVP contender, being named an All-NBA First Team back-to-back in the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He also finished second to Stephan Curry to be named NBA MVP.
He was later named the National Basketball Player’s Association MVP in 2015. In 2016, he renewed his contract with the Houston Rockets and began playing at the point guard position. He finished the season with more than 2,000 points, becoming the first player in NBA history. Houston finished the next season at No. 1 for the first time in history, and James was named NBA MVP and National Basketball Players Association MVP for 2017.
Widespread Fame
In 2020 he called for a trade and also reported late for practice. He was later traded to the Brooklyn Nets and immediately set new records by becoming the first player in NBA history to hit a triple-double in a debut game. James Harden also received the honors of inaugural Eastern Conference Player of the Week and Eastern Conference Player of the Month for several months that same season.
He was also injured during the season resulting in a muscle strain and he had to return to the dressing room mid-game and missed the next 18 games. James recently returned to play but was forced to return within a minute of the game due to a serious hamstring injury.
He has also played nationally, representing the United States at the Olympics and FIFA basketball. He was part of the United States gold-winning basketball team at the 2012 Olympics and was also selected as a 2016 candidate, but later withdrew. James also played with the winning team of the 2014 FIFA Basketball World Cup. He is also endorsed by sports brands like Adidas and has had several deals with them. He is also the owner of professional basketball teams such as the Houston Dynamo and Houston Dash and became a businessman.
James Harden biography | |
|---|---|
| Real name | James Edward Harden Jr. |
| date of birth | Aug. 26, 1989 |
| Age (as of now) | 35 years |
| place of birth | Bluebell, California, USA |
| nationality | American |
| job | basketball player |
| religion | Christianity |
| sun sign | Virgo |
Physical Statistics | |
| height | in feet inches – 6′ 5” – in centimeters – 196 cm |
| Weight | in kilograms – 100kg – in pounds – 220 pounds |
| bust size | 44 inches |
| waist size | 42 inches |
| bicep size | 17 inch |
| shoe size | 15 (USA) |
| Hair color | black |
| eye color | dark brown |
| body type | Sporty |
James Harden Family | |
| father | James Harden Sr. |
| mother | Mona Willis |
| sister | Arnique Jelks |
| Brothers | Akili Roberson |
Qualification/Education | |
| school | Artesian High School |
| University | University of Arizona |
Relationship status | |
| marital status | single |
| affair | no |
| Is he gay? | no |
| Who is James Harden’s girlfriend? | Jordan Woods (2019) |
favorite things | |
| hobbies | Not known |
| favorite Pisces | Sea Bass, Halibut |
| favorite Food | Pasta with chicken |
| Favorite BODYARMOR flavor | Strawberry banana fruit punch |
Personal life
James is known to be in a relationship with Jessyka Janshel. She is a 29-year-old model and has been featured in several magazines and campaigns. They started dating in 2017 and have been together ever since. James was previously known to have dated Khloe Kardashian but they split in 2017. He has also been known to date other famous people including Amber Rose, Sarah Bellow, Britteny Renner, and Kyra Chaos.
James Harden net worth
James has been a professional basketball player for years and is very active in the field. He has set several records and also earned tremendous respect and wealth. James has also endorsed several well-known brands and also manages various basketball teams. He derives most of his income from his basketball career supplemented by his endorsement deals and business earnings. His estimated net worth is around $45 million.
Facts About James Harden
- James’ beard started to grow due to his laziness when shaving, but later became his trademark and also became a trend and started selling as a merchandise design.
- He won the 2018 NBA Most Valuable Player of the Year award and has been a contender more than three times.
- James was named All-NBA first team six times from 2014 to 2020.
- He is a three-time NBS scoring champion from 2018 to 2020.
- Harden is the top left-handed scorer in NBA history but is considered weak on defense.