Career Timeline of James Harden: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of James Harden, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

James Harden is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers. Widely considered one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Known as "The Beard" for his distinctive facial hair, Harden has also achieved success on the international stage, winning gold medals with the United States national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1994: Rockets Win Division Title

In April 2015, James Harden helped the Houston Rockets win their first division title since 1994.

2006: AAU Championship with Pump-N-Run Elite

In 2006, James Harden helped his AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite, win the Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship.

November 30, 2008: Career-High 40 Points Against UTEP

On November 30, 2008, James Harden scored a career-high 40 points in an 88-58 victory over UTEP.

2008: Arizona State's Season and NIT Appearance

In 2008, James Harden's freshman year, Arizona State finished tied for fifth in the Pac-10 with a 21-13 record and were selected to the 2008 NIT field after being considered a bubble team for the NCAA tournament. They lost to Florida in the NIT.

2009: End of Sophomore Year and NBA Draft Declaration

In 2009, James Harden finished his sophomore year with averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. He was named the Pacific-10 Conference's Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. After the season concluded, Harden declared for the 2009 NBA draft.

2009: Drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder

In 2009, James Harden was drafted third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder, marking a significant milestone in his career.

2009: All-American and Drafted by Thunder

In 2009, James Harden was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year while playing college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils. He was then selected with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

2010: Regular Season

During the 2010–11 season, James Harden played regularly.

March 6, 2011: Season-High 26 Points Against Phoenix

On March 6, 2011, James Harden scored a season-high 26 points against the Phoenix Suns.

2011: NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award

During the lockout-shortened 2011–12 season, James Harden averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists and received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

April 18, 2012: Season-High 40 Points Against Phoenix

On April 18, 2012, James Harden scored a season-high 40 points against the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first NBA player in a reserve role to score 40 points since Rodrigue Beaubois in March 2010.

October 27, 2012: Traded to Houston Rockets

On October 27, 2012, James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

October 31, 2012: Contract Extension with the Rockets

On October 31, 2012, James Harden signed a five-year, $80 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets.

2012: Contract Extension Negotiation

During the 2012 free agency period, Oklahoma City attempted to sign James Harden to a four-year contract extension worth between $52 and $55 million.

2012: Olympic Gold Medal

In 2012, James Harden was a member of the United States national team that won a gold medal at the Olympics.

2012: NBA Sixth Man of the Year and Traded to Rockets

In 2012, James Harden was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year and helped the Oklahoma City Thunder reach the NBA Finals. Subsequently, after failing to reach a contract extension, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets before the 2012-13 season.

2012: All-NBA Third Team Selection

In 2012-13, James Harden was named to the All-NBA Third Team, marking his first career All-NBA Team selection.

2012: Trade to Houston Rockets

Since 2012, after his trade to the Houston Rockets, James Harden has scored the most points in the NBA and became the all-time NBA leader in unassisted three-point makes.

February 2, 2013: First Career Triple-Double

On February 2, 2013, James Harden recorded the first triple-double of his career against the Charlotte Bobcats, with 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists.

February 20, 2013: Career-High 46 Points Against Oklahoma City Thunder

On February 20, 2013, James Harden scored a career-high 46 points in a 122-119 win over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

December 26, 2013: Most Points on Limited Field Goals

On December 26, 2013, James Harden became the first player in NBA history to register at least 27 points on two or fewer field goals made against the Memphis Grizzlies.

2013: Steven Adams First Round Pick

In 2013, the first round pick became Steven Adams.

February 5, 2014: 3,000 Points in First 120 Games

On February 5, 2014, against the Phoenix Suns, James Harden became just the third player to score at least 3,000 points in his first 120 games played with the Rockets.

February 25, 2014: Season-High 43 Points Against Sacramento Kings

On February 25, 2014, James Harden scored a season-high 43 points in a 129–103 win over the Sacramento Kings.

2014: Free Throw Dominance

From 2014, James Harden led the NBA in free throw attempts and makes every year until 2019, showcasing his ability to draw fouls and get to the free throw line efficiently.

2014: FIBA World Cup Gold Medal

In 2014, James Harden was a member of the team that won the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

2014: Mitch McGary First Round Pick

In 2014, the first round pick became Mitch McGary.

April 2015: Two 50-Point Games

In April 2015, James Harden became the first player in franchise history to have two 50-point games in a season.

August 3, 2015: Adidas Endorsement Deal

On August 3, 2015, James Harden received an endorsement deal from Adidas worth $200 million over 13 years.

July 9, 2016: Contract Extension with Rockets

On July 9, 2016, James Harden signed a four-year, $118.1 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets.

September 2016: Point Guard Role

In September 2016, new Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni announced that James Harden would take on the point guard role to begin the 2016–17 season.

2016: Point Guard Role

During the early portion of the 2016-17 season, Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni played James Harden at point guard, which resulted in him averaging over 10 assists per game for the first time in his career. This emphasized his playmaking ability.

2016: Withdrawal from 2016 Olympics

James Harden was a candidate for the 2016 Olympics, but he withdrew from the team.

December 31, 2016: Triple-double with 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds

On December 31, 2016, James Harden achieved a triple-double with 53 points, 17 assists, and 16 rebounds in a 129–122 victory over the New York Knicks, setting an NBA record as the first player to reach a 50–15–15 stat line. He equaled Wilt Chamberlain's record for the most points in a triple-double in NBA history and set career highs for points and three-pointers.

July 8, 2017: Signed four-year contract extension with the Rockets

On July 8, 2017, James Harden signed a four-year contract extension with the Rockets for approximately $160 million. This gave him a total six-year deal with $228 million guaranteed, which was the richest contract in NBA history at the time.

January 30, 2018: First 60-point triple-double in NBA history

On January 30, 2018, James Harden became the first player in NBA history to score 60 points as part of a triple-double, finishing with 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 114–107 win over the Orlando Magic. He also broke Houston's single-game scoring record, previously held by Calvin Murphy.

2018: NBA Most Valuable Player

In 2018, James Harden was named the NBA Most Valuable Player while leading the Houston Rockets to the Western Conference Finals.

July 18, 2019: Part Owner of Houston Soccer Teams

On July 18, 2019, James Harden became a part owner in Houston's professional soccer teams; the Houston Dynamo of MLS and the Houston Dash of NWSL.

October 30, 2019: Scored 59 points against the Washington Wizards

On October 30, 2019, James Harden scored 59 points on 18–32 shooting from the field, along with nine assists in a 159–158 win against the Washington Wizards. With this game, Harden extended a streak of having a 50-point game in 6 straight seasons.

November 30, 2019: Fourth career 60-point game

On November 30, 2019, James Harden achieved his fourth career 60-point game in a 158–111 win against the Atlanta Hawks, scoring a season-high 60 points along with 8 assists in 31 minutes. Harden joined Klay Thompson and Kobe Bryant as the only players to hit 60 points in just three quarters.

December 11, 2019: Fourth 50-point game of the season

On December 11, 2019, James Harden achieved his fourth 50-point game of the season with 55 points in a 116–110 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He also became the fourth player in NBA history with multiple games of 10 or more 3-pointers.

December 13, 2019: Second 50-point game in a row

On December 13, 2019, James Harden had his second 50-point game in a row scoring 54 points in a 130–107 win against the Orlando Magic. In this game, Harden became the second player in NBA history to score 10+ 3PM in consecutive games, joining Stephen Curry.

December 21, 2019: Passed Elgin Baylor for most 40-point games in NBA history

On December 21, 2019, James Harden surpassed Elgin Baylor for the most 40-point games in NBA history, finishing with 40 points in a 139–125 win against the Phoenix Suns.

2019: End of Free Throw Dominance

In 2019, James Harden's streak of leading the NBA in free throw attempts and makes came to an end, having led the league every year since the 2014–15 season.

2020: Trade Request

At the beginning of the 2020-21 season, James Harden requested a trade from the Houston Rockets.

January 14, 2021: Traded to the Brooklyn Nets

On January 14, 2021, James Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team deal. The trade involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, and sent Rodions Kurucs, Dante Exum, Victor Oladipo, four first-round draft picks, and four first-round pick swaps to the Houston Rockets.

2021: Named to NBA 75th Anniversary Team

In 2021, James Harden was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, recognizing him as one of the league's top 75 players.

February 10, 2022: Traded to the Philadelphia 76ers

On February 10, 2022, James Harden and Paul Millsap were traded by the Nets to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round selections.

July 27, 2022: Re-signed with the 76ers

On July 27, 2022, James Harden re-signed with the 76ers on a two-year, $68.6 million deal which included a player option for the 2023–24 season.

2022: Traded to the Philadelphia 76ers

At the 2022 trade deadline, James Harden was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

November 1, 2023: Acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers

On November 1, 2023, James Harden, P. J. Tucker, and Filip Petrušev were acquired by the Los Angeles Clippers from the 76ers in exchange for Marcus Morris Sr., Nicolas Batum, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Robert Covington. As part of the trade, the Clippers dealt a first-round pick, two second-round picks, a pick swap, and cash considerations to the 76ers, while sending a pick swap and cash considerations to the Oklahoma City Thunder.