James Harden

James Harden (born James Edward Harden Jr.) is a professional basketball player known as one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers and playmakers. Harden was raised in Compton, California, where he emerged as a standout athlete at Artesia High School before attending Arizona State University. During his two seasons with the Sun Devils, he earned Pac-10 Player of the Year honors and consensus All-American recognition in 2009 before declaring for the NBA Draft.

Harden was selected third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 NBA Draft. After helping the franchise reach the NBA Finals and winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2012, he was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he became one of basketball’s biggest stars. He later played for the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers. In 2026, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Harden was a member of the 2012 USA men’s basketball Olympic team and helped lead the team to gold. He was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, cementing his place among the league’s most accomplished players.

Harden has kept much of his personal life private. He was previously linked to Khloé Kardashian before going public with girlfriend Paije Speights in 2024. In 2025, Harden revealed that he has a son, Jace, and is preparing to welcome a child with Speights.