James Harden's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of James Harden.

James Harden is a professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Clippers. Considered one of the greatest shooting guards in NBA history, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021. Harden has won gold medals with the United States national team at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIBA World Cup. He is widely known by his nickname, "The Beard," which is derived from his notable facial hair.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1959: Wilt Chamberlain's First Two Games

In 1959, Wilt Chamberlain scored 79 points in his first two career games with the Philadelphia Warriors.

December 1967: Oscar Robertson's Monthly Stats

In December 1967, Oscar Robertson recorded at least 450 points, 150 assists, and 100 rebounds in a single month.

March 1968: Wilt Chamberlain's 53/32/14 Game

In March 1968, Wilt Chamberlain had 53 points, 32 rebounds, and 14 assists for Philadelphia.

1977: Artis Gilmore's Turnover Record

In the 1977-78 season, Artis Gilmore had 366 turnovers, which was a record at the time.

1979: First player to earn Player of the Month in first two months with a new team

On April 1, James Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March, 1979. Harden became the first player in league history to earn Player of the Month honors in each of his first two full months with a new team since the award's inception.

1981: Moses Malone's Consecutive 43-Plus Point Games

In the 1981-82 season, Moses Malone had two streaks of three games with 43-plus points.

1981: Moses Malone's Free Throws Made Record

In the 1981-82 season, Moses Malone made 630 free throws for the Houston Rockets, setting a team record.

1990: Tim Hardaway's Opener Performance

In 1990, Tim Hardaway had 32 points and 18 assists for the Golden State Warriors in an opener.

February 1991: Sleepy Floyd's Free Throw Record

In February 1991, Sleepy Floyd made 22-27 free throws for the Houston Rockets.

1992: Hakeem Olajuwon Player of the Week Honors

In the 1992-93 season, Hakeem Olajuwon captured Player of the Week honors three times.

1994: Rockets Win Division Title

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

May 1999: Michael Dickerson Makes Eight Straight 3-Pointers

In May 1999, Houston guard Michael Dickerson made eight straight 3-point field goals.

2000: Players with 600 Free Throws and 150 3-Pointers

In the 2000-01 season, Jerry Stackhouse made at least 600 free throws and hit 150 or more 3-pointers.

2004: Tracy McGrady Player of the Week Honors

In the 2004-05 season, Tracy McGrady captured Player of the Week honors four times.

2005: Players with 600 Free Throws and 150 3-Pointers

In the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, Gilbert Arenas made at least 600 free throws and hit 150 or more 3-pointers.

2006: Won Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 Championship

In 2006, James Harden helped his AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite, win the Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship, scoring 34 points in the victory over DC Assault.

2006: Players with 600 Free Throws and 150 3-Pointers

In the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, Gilbert Arenas made at least 600 free throws and hit 150 or more 3-pointers.

March 2007: Kobe Bryant scores 50 or more in consecutive games

In March 2007, Kobe Bryant was the last NBA player to score 50 or more points in consecutive games before James Harden matched that feat in December 2017.

2007: Players with 600 Free Throws and 150 3-Pointers

In the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, Gilbert Arenas made at least 600 free throws and hit 150 or more 3-pointers.

November 30, 2008: Scored Career-High 40 Points

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

2009: Named All-American and Drafted by the 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. Later in 2009, he was selected as the third overall pick in the NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.

2011: Sixth Man of the Year Award

During the 2011-12 season, James Harden received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

2012: Named NBA Sixth Man of the Year

In 2012, James Harden was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year and helped the Oklahoma City Thunder reach the NBA Finals.

2012: Named to All-NBA Third Team

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

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: Scored Career-High 46 Points Against 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: Registered 27 Points on Two 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.

February 5, 2014: Scored 3,000 Points with Rockets

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

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

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

2014: Won Gold Medal at FIBA World Cup

In 2014, James Harden won a gold medal as a member of the United States national team at the FIBA World Cup.

2014: Inaugural National Basketball Players Association MVP

James Harden was voted the inaugural National Basketball Players Association's MVP for the 2014–15 season.

April 2015: First Rocket with Two 50-Point Games

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

November 2015: Consecutive 43-Plus Point Games

In November 2015, James Harden became the first Houston Rocket to score 43-plus points in consecutive games since Moses Malone in the 1981-82 season.

2015: Improved defense cited for success

In 2015, James Harden's improved defense carried over from the previous season and has been cited as a major reason for the Rockets' regular season success.

2015: Career Marks in Points, Assists, and Rebounds

James Harden set career marks in points (29), assists (7.5), and rebounds (6.1) during the 2015-16 season.

December 31, 2016: Harden Records Triple-Double with 53 Points

On December 31, 2016, James Harden achieved a triple-double, scoring 53 points, providing 17 assists, and securing 16 rebounds in a 129–122 victory over the New York Knicks. This performance marked him as the first NBA player ever to reach a 50–15–15 stat line. He equaled Wilt Chamberlain's record for the most points in a triple-double, set career highs in points and three-pointers, and matched his assist record, marking his 17th career triple-double and fourth 50-point game.

January 30, 2018: Harden Scores 60 Points in Triple-Double

On January 30, 2018, James Harden made NBA history by becoming the first player to score 60 points as part of a triple-double, with 10 rebounds and 11 assists, in a 114–107 win over the Orlando Magic. He also broke Houston's single-game scoring record, surpassing Calvin Murphy's 57 points from 1978.

March 20, 2018: Harden scores 57 points against the Memphis Grizzlies

On March 20, 2018, James Harden scored 57 points in a 126–125 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, marking his seventh 50-point game of the season.

2018: Named NBA Most Valuable Player

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

October 30, 2019: Harden Scores 59 Points Against 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, bringing him two points away from his career-high. This game extended his streak of having a 50-point game in 6 straight seasons.

November 11, 2019: Harden Named Western Conference Player of the Week

On November 11, 2019, James Harden was named the Western Conference's Player of the Week after the Rockets went 3–0. Harden recorded a double-double in each game and averaged 40.7 points.

November 30, 2019: Harden Scores 60 Points Against Hawks

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.

December 11, 2019: Harden Scores 55 Points Against Cavaliers

On December 11, 2019, James Harden achieved his fourth 50-point game of the season, scoring 55 points on an efficient 20-of-34 field goal shooting in a 116–110 win against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

December 13, 2019: Harden Scores 54 Points Against Magic

On December 13, 2019, James Harden achieved his second 50-point game in a row—the third time in his career he scored back-to-back 50-point games—with 54 points on 19-of-31 field goal shooting 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.

December 21, 2019: Harden Passes Elgin Baylor for Most 40-Point Games

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

October 22, 2021: Harden passes Korver for fourth in three-pointers made

On October 22, 2021, James Harden recorded 20 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in a win against the Philadelphia 76ers, surpassing Kyle Korver for fourth place on the all-time three-pointers made list.

2021: Named Eastern Conference All-Star Reserve

In 2021, James Harden was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, marking his ninth consecutive All-Star selection.

2021: Named to NBA 75th Anniversary Team

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

2023: Led League in Assists

In 2023, James Harden led the league in assists for the second time in his career.

January 26, 2024: Harden Records 75th Career Triple-Double

On January 26, 2024, James Harden achieved his 75th career triple-double, accumulating 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 127–107 victory against the Toronto Raptors.

November 2, 2024: Harden ties Wilt Chamberlain for seventh in career triple-doubles

On November 2, 2024, James Harden recorded his 78th career triple-double, tying Wilt Chamberlain for seventh in NBA history, as he finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a loss against the Phoenix Suns. He also became the 20th player in NBA history to reach 26,000 points in his career.