James Harden

James Harden ( born August 26, 1989 in Los Angeles, California) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Houston Rockets. He is 1.96 meters tall and is used on the position of the Shooting Guards. Biggest career success was far in 2012 reaching the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder and winning the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in London and the selection for the NBA All-Star Game in 2013. Harden is known for its distinctive beard.

  • 3.1 Regular Season
  • 3.2 Play-Offs

Career

Amateur basketball

High School

Harden went as well as the former or still active NBA player Jason Kapono, Ed O'Bannon and Charles O'Bannon on the Artesia High School in Lakewood ( California). In his senior year as he reached 18.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. With school choice, he won in his junior and senior championship of the state with a score of 33:1 or 33:2.

College

Following Harden attended Arizona State University. Already in his second year of college ( as a sophomore ) for the Arizona State Sun Devils, he was honored by a nomination for the All-American team and honored as player of the year his Conference. He was drafted in the NBA Draft 2009, 3 out of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Professional basketball in the NBA (since 2009)

2009-2010

In his first professional year, Harden was able to prevail as a regular for the Thunder. His first assignment in the regular season took place on 28 October 2009 in Chesapeake Energy Arena against the Sacramento Kings. It was used in 76 regular season games for an average of 22.9 minutes, but not once in the starting five. He came to 3.2 rebounds and 9.9 points per game and 93 successful three-point throws in a hit rate of 37.5%. In the game at Orlando Magic on 18 November 2009 he scored six three-point throws and so his former Karrierebestwert. In the playoffs, the Thunder lost in the first round in six games against the Los Angeles Lakers. Harden was chosen for his accomplishments as a rookie by the coaches in the NBA, the NBA All- Rookie Second Team.

2010-2011

This season, Harden kept his role as Sixth Man. In 82 games of the regular season, including five in the starting five, he came up with an average operating time of 26.7 minutes, 12.2 points and 3.1 rebounds. A total of 113 three-point throws him arrive at a hit rate of 34.9 %. 12 February 2011 Harden reached a new Karrierekord with five steals in the game with the Sacramento Kings. As part of the NBA All- Star Game 2011 Rookie Challenge Harden played for the team of Sophomores in the NBA.

The winner of the Northwest Division and fourth- placed team in the Western Conference, the Thunder reached the play-offs. After a 4-1 win over the Denver Nuggets and a 4-3 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies they lost in the Conference Finals to the eventual champions Dallas Mavericks with 1:4. During the play-offs Harden came to play more with an average of 31.6 minutes.

2011-2012

During the regular season Harden was used longer, on average, 31.4 minutes, reaching 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He was in 62 games, only twice in the starting five, so retained its function as a Sixth Man. In the game for the Dallas Mavericks on 1 February 2012 with 9 assists he had a new career record. On 18 April 2012, he scored 40 points away against the Phoenix Suns a new Karrierebestwert. A sensation of shock caused by the elbow of Metta World Peace, the Harden met in league play on April 22, 2012 at the face and put him with a concussion for the rest of the game out of action. World Peace has been banned in the wake of seven games. In the home game six days later against the Mavericks Harden was on the field again and has been used for 35 minutes.

In the regular season of 2011/12 Harden could be further improved. He met at a ratio of 39 % 114 three-point throws and thus the zwölftmeisten all players. Even better, he could be placed in successful free throws, he was here with 312 eighth. Harden won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

Again, as the winner of their division and the second- placed team in the Western Conference, the Thunder went into the play- offs. In the first round they defeated the Mavericks 4-0 and were thus able to avenge their defeat in the previous year. In the second round they defeated the Lakers 4-1 and once again reached the conference finals. After a 4-2 win against the San Antonio Spurs they were in the finals, but they lost 1:4 against the Miami Heat.

At the Olympic Summer Games 2012 in London he won the gold medal with the U.S. selection. He came in eight games on a mission life of 74 minutes and made ​​a total of 44 points.

2012-2013

In the summer of 2012, Harden and the Thunder agreed to start negotiations on a contract extension. Shortly before the start of the season, the Thunder Harden submitted its final offer over 4 years and 52 million dollars. This declined Harden. Then transferred the Thunder Harden before the start of the season to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Kevin Martin. The Rockets Harden signed a five - year contract for a little less than 80 million dollars.

In his first game for Houston, where he is one unlike the Thunder to the Starting Five, October 31, at the Detroit Pistons, he scored 37 points with 12 assists his previous Karrierebestwert. Kiki Vandeweghe Only, the reach in his first game for Portland on October 27, 1984 at the Kansas City Kings 47 points and Wilt Chamberlain with 43 points in his first NBA game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks on October 24, 1960 were more successful. In his second game for Houston, he scored 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks a new personal best value. The order reached 82 points in the first two games set a new NBA record. Chamberlain scored 79 points in the first two games of his career. In the game with the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 5, 2013, winning seven steals and thus reached an all Karrierebestwert. In the home game against the Charlotte Bobcats on February 2, 2013 Harden reached the first triple-double of his career. Harden was selected for the NBA All- Star Game on February 17, 2013 at the Toyota Center in Houston as a substitute for the Western Conference. On February 20, he put in the match against his former club Oklahoma Thunder at the Toyota Center Houston with 46 points and seven three-point throws new Karrierebestwerte on.

In the regular season, he came to a total of 25.9 points per game and was the fifth-best player in the NBA. He was awarded, which he had mentioned these statistics 792 free throws. 674 of which he met and was in this rating just behind Kevin Durant, who scored 679mal. In the three-point throws, he finished with 179 hits in sixth place.

The Rockets reached eighth in the Western Conference play- offs. There, they lost in the first round against the Oklahoma City Thunder 2-4 after they had already 0:3 located in the residue.

Awards

  • 2 × NBA All -Star: 2013, 2014
  • All- NBA Third Team: 2013
  • NBA Sixth Man of the Year: 2012
  • NBA All- Rookie Second Team: 2010

Career Statistics

Regular Season

Play-Offs

Game style

Harden's play lives from his offensive talents. He is left-handed and can be used both with his athleticism directly attack the basket as points accurately from a distance. He attracts a lot of fouls on themselves and often leads to the NBA season statistics as a player who gets most free throws awarded. His qualities as a playmaker, he was able to increase from year to year, so it behind Russell Westbrook 's second- best assist donors has become at the Thunder in the regular season 2011/12. When the Houston Rockets, he has quickly become the most important player and has the highest use of time and the most points per game.

427556
de