[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. He was named a McDonald's All-American, and also earned second-team Parade All-American honors. Also read: Houston Rockets News: Franchise could file protest over James Harden dunk that was ruled out. In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.2 points as Artesia went 285. 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. [65] Harden's career-best December run earned him Western Conference Player of the Month honors. [249] On July 18, 2019, Harden became a part owner in Houston's professional soccer teams; the Houston Dynamo of MLS and the Houston Dash of NWSL. He also became the fourth player in NBA history with 100 40-point games and became second all-time in 40-point triple-doubles with 16, behind only Oscar Robertson who had 24. [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 is eligible for a $223 million extension, but his age and off-court habits raise concerns. Also read: NBA MVP Power Rankings: Top 5 leaders entering Week 7. Harden had similar stats during the previous season: 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. 7d; 0:18. [207] On January 21, Harden scored 37 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out 11 assists in a 117102 win over the San Antonio Spurs. James Harden has been among the NBA's top-tier players for years. [215] On April 28, Harden had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 15 assists in a 13297 Game 6 win, to help the Sixers advance to East semifinals. [184][185][186] On March 17, Harden posted a season-high 40 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in a 124115 win over the Indiana Pacers, joining Carter as the only Nets players with a 40-point triple-double. [145][146], After a disappointing start to the season shooting 28.6% from the field and 15% from the three-point line in the first three games,[147] Harden scored 59 points on 1832 shooting from the field, along with nine assists in a 159158 win against the Washington Wizards on October 30, 2019two points away from his career-high. 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. [203] On December 14, Harden entered health-and-safety protocols, causing him to miss the next three games. [233] During the early portion of the 201617 season, Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni played Harden at point guard,[55][56] which resulted in him averaging over 10 assists per game for the first time in his career. Questionable Killer Instinct. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in Sixers history to put up a 20-assist triple-double and his 21 assists tied Chamberlain and Maurice Cheeks for the most assists in a game in Sixers history. But there is a school of thought that because of their smaller lineup and the load put on James Harden . James Harden. [35] Four days later, he had 41 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder for his 10th 40-point game of the season. If it worked, that would get a ring for 4 people on this list. Harden tied his season low of 10 points, shooting 2-of-11 before fouling out with 3:15 remaining. He is the all-time NBA leader in unassisted three-point makes. Over the next seven and a half seasons with the team he would lead the league in scoring three times and assists once, and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2018. [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. Although the couple has never been captured together, nor do they follow each other on social media. Oh Well, And Here Comes The NFL. However, Golden has been seen attending Rocket's games. I double-checked just to make sure. Drafted By. Rockets Game Summary November 30, 2019 ESPN", "Harden scores 60 in 3 quarters of blowout win", "James Harden Ties Michael Jordan For Third-Most 60-Point Games In NBA History", "Rockets vs. Cavaliers Game Recap December 11, 2019 ESPN", "James Harden tops 50 points for second straight night with 54 vs. Orlando", "Rockets vs. Magic Game Summary December 13, 2019 ESPN", "James Harden passes Paul Pierce for 8th all-time in 3-pointers made", "James Harden becomes the first player in NBA history to record back-to-back 50-point games with more than 10 three-pointers", "Before this week, there were only three times a player scored 54+ points with fewer than seven attempts at the free throw line. He now sits at 34th overall with 21,792 points, one more point than Bird. Back in 2019, Kobe Bryant had reasoned that the playing style of James Harden was never going to win him any championships. 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!! [199] In Game 7, Harden had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in the 111115 overtime loss. There's so many questions after seeing this video. [160] On December 21, 2019, Harden passed Elgin Baylor for most 40-point games in NBA history with 40 points a 139125 win against the Phoenix Suns. [85] He went on to become the first player in team history to score at least 20 points in each of the team's first 20 games of a season. [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. 2 seed in the Western Conference. [76] Between March 12 and 18, he had four straight triple-doubles, giving him 19 for the season. James Harden has always been a great regular season player, even during his 6th Man days with the Oklahoma City Thunder. JH: Well, he's really good.But in all seriousness, he's as humble as . It was Harden's third 50-point game of the season and he became the first player in franchise history to have two straight 50-point games. [109] He also made eight 3-pointers to extend his NBA record to 12 games in a row with at least five. Yes, Harden does have the possibility to sign with the Rockets this offseason, just as he does with the other 29 teams. [96] On March 25, he helped the Rockets reach 60 wins in a season for the first time in franchise history, recording a triple-double (fourth of season, 35th of career) with 18 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in three quarters in a 11899 win over the Atlanta Hawks. [163] During the 20182020 seasons, Harden became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain with at least 20 games of 40+ points over a three-year period. [10] On November 30, 2008, Harden scored a career-high 40 points in an 8858 victory over UTEP. Chamberlain did so in 10 straight seasons from 1959 to 1969", "Hawks vs. Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. [127], On March 31, Harden had 50 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a 119108 win over the Sacramento Kings to record his ninth 50-point game of the regular season. 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). "My third year we lost in the Finals," Harden said in the GQ interview. 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. The 76ers have been strong contenders for years, and Harden could be the one piece to push them to a championship. That said, for me, investing a little more time on my rehab, on my recovery, and making sure that my body is being taken care of from head to toethats the connection I needed.. 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. James Harden can drop 50 points on any given night and can score tough shots over the game's greatest defenders and take home scoring and MVP honors but can he win a championship? During his time in Houston, he was named to eight consecutive NBA All-Star teams and earned All-NBA Team honors seven times, including six first-team selections. Tucker and Danuel House. [94] On January 26, he had 23 points and 11 assists in a 115113 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans. [169] Harden also set the record for being the first player in NBA history to post a 30-point triple-double debut performance, while also setting a franchise record for the most assists in a player's first game with the Nets. James Harden of the Nets celebrates a three-point basket against the Celtics in Game 5 of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center on June 1. Credit: Steven Ryan By Greg Logan . . Your login session has expired. SI: You gained two notable costars this season. Hardly resting on his laurels, Harden, who bought a stake in Tequila Gran Diamante, owns upscale restaurant Thirteen in Houston and a slew of Crunch fitness locations, launched J-Harden wine on July 19 through an equity partnership with Accolade Wines available for purchase starting September 1. 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. 31 on the NBA all-time career scoring list. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at the conclusion of the season. [173][174] On February 22, Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, after leading the Nets to four straight wins. via ESPN Front Row. [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. Menu. Paul Millsap. [97] The Rockets finished the regular season as the No. [201] On November 12, Harden had a season-high 39 points, 5 rebounds and 12 assists in a 120112 win over the New Orleans Pelicans.