James Harden's Success and Achievements in Timeline

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

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

1959: Chamberlain's Record

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

December 1967: Oscar Robertson's Stats

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

March 1968: Wilt Chamberlain's Stats

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

1977: Artis Gilmore's Turnover Record

In 1977–78, Artis Gilmore had 366 turnovers, the previous record.

1981: Malone's consecutive 43-plus point games

During the 1981–82 season, Malone had two streaks of three games doing score 43-plus points.

1981: Moses Malone's Record

In 1981-82, Moses Malone had 630 free throws made in a season.

1990: Tim Hardaway's Stats

In 1990, Tim Hardaway had 32 and 18 for the Golden State Warriors.

February 1991: Sleepy Floyd's Record

In February 1991, Sleepy Floyd recorded 22-27 FT tying the Rockets single-game record for free throws made.

1992: Hakeem Olajuwon's Player of the Week Honors

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

1994: Rockets Win Division Title

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

1997: Playoff record for most missed consecutive shots

During Game 3 against the Jazz in the 2019 playoffs, James Harden started the game 0-of-15, breaking the NBA playoff record for most missed consecutive shots without a make in a game since Michael Jordan went 0-of-11 in an 87–80 loss against the Miami Heat in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals.

May 1999: Michael Dickerson's Record

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

2000: Jerry Stackhouse's Stats

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

2004: Tracy McGrady's Player of the Week Honors

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

2005: Gilbert Arenas' Stats

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

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.

2006: Gilbert Arenas' Stats

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

March 2007: Consecutive 50-point games since Kobe Bryant

In December 2017, James Harden became the first NBA player to score 50 or more in consecutive games since Kobe Bryant did so in March 2007.

2007: Kobe Bryant's Stats

In 2007-08, Kobe Bryant had at least 600 free throws made and hit 150 or more 3-pointers.

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.

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: 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.

January 1, 2010: Beginning of the Decade

Going back to January 1, 2010, James Harden finished the decade as the NBA's leading scorer with 19,578 points, despite beginning his career as a sixth man with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

March 2010: Rodrigue Beaubois scores 40 points

In March 2010, Dallas guard Rodrigue Beaubois scored 40 points.

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.

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.

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: Defensive Criticism and Improvement

In early 2014, James Harden faced intensified criticism for his defense. However, during the 2014 offseason, he committed to improving his defense, which was evident in August as a member of the United States men's national basketball team.

2014: Inaugural National Basketball Players Association's MVP

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

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.

2015: Improved Defense

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

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.

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.

2017: NBA Most Valuable Player for the 2017–18 season

In June 2018, James Harden was named the NBA Most Valuable Player for the 2017–18 season, becoming the third player in franchise history to receive the award.

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: 2018-2020 Seasons

During the 2018–2020 seasons, James Harden became the first player since Wilt Chamberlain with at least 20 games of 40+ points over a three-year period.

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.

2018: Streak with at least 30 points snapped.

On February 25, 2019, James Harden's return game after missing the Rockets' next game with an illness and a strained neck saw him score 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks, snapping his 32-game streak with at least 30.

November 11, 2019: Named Western Conference's 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 recording a double-double in each game and averaging 40.7 points, scoring 22 3-pointers on 43.1% shooting; 9.3 assists; 8.0 rebounds; 2.33 steals; and 1.33 blocks.

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.

2020: Scoring champion for the third season in a row

During the 2018-2020 NBA seasons, James Harden became the league's scoring champion for the third season in a row and the league leader in total steals.

October 22, 2021: Moved past Kyle Korver for fourth on the all-time three-pointers made list

On October 22, 2021, James Harden scored 20 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in a 114–109 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, moving past Kyle Korver for fourth on the all-time three-pointers made list.

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.

2023: Led League in Assists

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

January 26, 2024: Recorded 75th career triple-double

On January 26, 2024, James Harden recorded his 75th career triple-double with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 127–107 win over the Toronto Raptors.

November 2, 2024: Recorded 78th Career Triple-Double

On November 2, 2024, James Harden recorded his 78th career triple-double, tying Wilt Chamberlain for seventh in NBA history, with 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a 125–119 loss against the Phoenix Suns. He also became the 20th player in NBA history to reach 26,000 points in his career.