James Harden Biography: Net Worth, Salary, Family and Career Stats

James Harden is one of the best shooting guards in the league who has been dominating the scoring part as a guard. He plays two positions on the court: shooting guard and point guard. However, he is more comfortable with the shooting guard, where he keeps on scoring the buckets through his signature shots like the Euro Step move and the Step back jumper. However, the 35-year-old Clippers guard carries his own criticisms. We have brought you a complete guide to the life of James Harden.

James Harden Early Life

James Edward Harden Jr. was born to Monja Willis and James Harden Sr. on August 26, 1989, in Los Angeles, California. His father, Harden Sr., used to play basketball abroad in Europe. Therefore, his mother, Monja Willis, single-handedly raised her kids to keep them out of trouble. Initially, Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California, to hone his competitiveness and skill as a baller. He was a championship-winning player there, after which he joined Arizona State University right away.

James Harden Biography

Before moving on to the details about James Harden, we should get to know the basic details about the NBA superstar:

Player Information	Details
Full Name	James Edward Harden Jr.
Position	Shooting Guard / Point Guard
DOB	August 26, 1989 (34 years old)
Height	6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m)
Weight	220 lbs (100 kg)
Hometown	Los Angeles, California
Current Team	Los Angeles Clippers
Draft	2009, 3rd overall pick (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Debut	October 28, 2009
Nickname	The Beard
Net Worth	Estimated $165 million
Salary	$33.65 million (2024-25 season)

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James Harden Career

James Harden’s career in the NBA is nothing short of exemplary. He started displaying skills in high school, where he was a key player for the team that led to the championships.

James Harden High School Career

Harden went to Artesia High School initially in California to play his high school basketball. There, he dished out 13.2 points per game to improve his high school team’s record to 28-5. Later on, in his junior year, he tried hard for a championship to tally 18.8 points, 7.7 boards, and 3.5 assists per game to ultimately lead his high school team to the California State Title. That year, his high school team had a 33-1 record.

During his senior season at his school, James Harden repeated his success from the previous years. He dished out 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. The team went with the 33–2 record into the season and again clinched the state title. That’s why Harden received Parade All-American and McDonald’s All-American honors.

James Harden College Career

After high school, James Harden went on to play for the Sun Devils team at Arizona State University. After completing his freshman season, he was named first-team All-Pac-10. Harden finished his sophomore campaign with averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Over the period of two years, he could not get his team an NCAA title and he declared for the NBA Draft after his sophomore year. Moreover, he was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019 NBA Draft as the 3rd overall pick. Here are the stats of his college career as per Sports Reference:

Season	Team	Class	G	GS	MP	FG	FG%	3P	3P%	TRB	AST	PTS
2007-08	Arizona State	Freshman	34	33	34.1	5.8	.527	1.3	.407	5.3	3.2	17.8
2008-09	Arizona State	Sophomore	35	35	35.8	6.3	.489	1.7	.356	5.6	4.2	20.1
Career			69	68	35.0	6.0	.506	3.9	.376	5.4	3.7	19.0

Professional Career

James Harden was an immediate success in the NBA due to his shooting skills. He was on a roll in terms of scoring buckets over the years, which can be categorized into the following sections based on his stint with the league:

Oklahoma City Thunder (2009-2012)

Harden started his career journey with the Oklahoma City Thunder as a 6th man. James Harden, along with legends like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, helped the Thunder reach the 2012 Finals in the NBA. James later went on to win the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in the same year.

He was a record holder in his debut season because Harden recorded the fourth-highest 3-point percentage in NBA history (.375) for a player under the age of 21 (minimum of 150 attempts) during the 2009–10 season. He got his spot on the All-Rookie second team during his debut season. He averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists during 2011-12 and led his team to the 2012 NBA Finals alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. However, after not agreeing to a contract extension, he was later traded to the Houston Rockets on October 27, 2012.

Houston Rockets (2012-2021)

After being traded to the Houston Rockets, Harden became a franchise player, winning the MVP award in 2018. James also recorded historic performances and led the league in scoring multiple times, including multiple 50-point games. In his debut Rockets game against the Detroit Pistons, he tallied 37 points, a career-high 12 assists, and six rebounds. After locking an extension with the Houston Rockets on July 9, 2016, he took on the role of the point guard.

During the 2017-18 season, Harden won his first scoring title with 30.4 points per game. The same year, he earned the league MVP award. He was on a scoring spree in 2018-19, in which he recorded his career-high 61 points against the New York Knicks and the San Antonio Spurs in the same season. He demanded a trade to the team in November 2022.

Brooklyn Nets (2021-2022) & Philadelphia 76ers (2022-2023)

On January 14, 2021, Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team deal to join hands with stars like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. However, due to the compatibility issues that he faced within the team, he was transferred again next year to the Philadelphia 76ers on February 10, 2022. He joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only player in Sixers history to put up a 20-assist triple-double. Harden even reached the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals in the 2022-23 season but eventually lost to the Boston Celtics in the end. He then requested a trade to the team management.

Los Angeles Clippers (2023-Present)

Harden reunited with Russell Westbrook again on November 1, 2023, when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade. Harden recorded his 78th career triple-double, tying Wilt Chamberlain for seventh in NBA history on November 2, 2024. He dished out 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists that night in a 125–119 loss against the Phoenix Suns. He also scored his 3,000th career three-pointer, joining Curry as the only player to reach the milestone. Recently, on February 20, 2025, he became the 13th player in NBA history to score 27,000 career points.

Here is a statistical breakdown of the NBA career during his different stints with teams within the league, according to the ESPN archives:

Season	Team	GP	MIN	FG%	3P%	REB	AST	PTS
2009-10	Oklahoma City Thunder	76	22.9	40.3	37.5	3.2	1.8	9.9
2010-11	Oklahoma City Thunder	82	26.7	43.6	34.9	3.1	2.1	12.2
2011-12	Oklahoma City Thunder	62	31.4	49.1	39.0	4.1	3.7	16.8
2012-13	Houston Rockets	78	38.3	43.8	36.8	4.9	5.8	25.9
2013-14	Houston Rockets	73	38.0	45.6	36.6	4.7	6.1	25.4
2014-15	Houston Rockets	81	36.8	44.0	37.5	5.7	7.0	27.4
2015-16	Houston Rockets	82	38.1	43.9	35.9	6.1	7.5	29.0
2016-17	Houston Rockets	81	36.4	44.0	34.7	8.1	11.2	29.1
2017-18	Houston Rockets	72	35.4	44.9	36.7	5.4	8.8	30.4
2018-19	Houston Rockets	78	36.8	44.2	36.8	6.6	7.5	36.1
2019-20	Houston Rockets	68	36.5	44.4	35.5	6.6	7.5	34.3
2020-21	Houston Rockets	8	36.3	44.4	34.7	5.1	10.4	24.8
2020-21	Brooklyn Nets	36	36.6	47.1	36.6	8.5	10.9	24.6
2021-22	Brooklyn Nets	44	37.0	41.4	33.2	8.0	10.2	22.5
2021-22	Philadephia 76ers	21	37.7	40.2	32.6	7.1	10.5	21.0
2022-23	Philadephia 76ers	58	36.8	44.1	38.5	6.1	10.7	21.0
2023-24	Los Angeles Clippers	72	34.3	42.8	38.1	5.1	8.5	16.6
2024-25	Los Angeles Clippers	56	34.6	39.0	34.0	5.9	8.5	21.7

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James Harden Awards and Achievements

James Harden has been consistent in his career as a baller. If he is not consistent, he will be padding stats one by one and grow his playing skills. Currently, he might not be in his best form, but he set various benchmarks during his prime in the league. We have mentioned such accolades that he garnered so far in the league while playing for five teams:

Award	Years
NBA MVP	2018
NBA All-Star	11x (2013-2022, 2025)
All-NBA First Team	6x (2014, 2015, 2017-2020)
NBA Sixth Man of the Year	2012
NBA Scoring Champion	3x (2018-2020)
NBA Assists leader	2x(2017, 2023)

James Harden Record

James Harden has been a key contributor to the NBA in keeping up with the records of the legends like Wilt Chamberlain in terms of scoring in a game. His prominent stats belong to this category. Even he stands fourth on the list of most 50-point games in the NBA. Here are the other set of records that he has set in the league:

Record	Details
Career Points	Over 27100
Career Assists	8100+
Career Rebounds	6300+
Most 50-Point Games	23 (as of 2025)
Most 60-Point Games	4
Most Assists in a Game	21 (Against the Los Angeles Clippers on December 23, 2022)
Career Triple-Doubles	79

James Harden Net Worth and Salary

According to the Celebrity Net Worth, James Harden holds a net worth of about $165 million as an NBA player. He has played for different teams, so he has enjoyed a max extension to a year or 2 years level contracts. Currently, he is on a 2 year $70 million contract. His average annual salary is $35 million, however, he is expected to earn $33.65 million in the 2024-25 season, according to Spotrac. In the upcoming 2025-26 season, Harden will earn $36.34 million.

We have curated a breakdown of the salary of James Harden over the years that he has spent in the league:

Year	Salary
2009	$4.0 million
2010	$4.3 million
2011	$3.7 million
2012	$5.8 million
2013	$13.7 million
2014	$14.7 million
2015	$15.7 million
2016	$26.5 million
2017	$28.2 million
2018	$30.4 million
2019	$35.8 million
2020	$34.1 million, $7 million
2021	$15.0 million, $29.82 million
2022	$33 million
2023	$35.64 million, $1.2 million
2024	$33.65 million

James Harden also enjoys the perks of endorsements from different brands. The most prominent of them is Adidas. The shoe brand made Harden one of the faces of its NBA campaign after signing him in 2015 to a 13-year deal worth as much as $200 million. He had an equity stake in Bodyarmor and scored a sizable payout when Coca-Cola bought the brand in fall 2021. He also invested $15 million in July 2019 for a small stake in the Houston Dynamo of MLS.

Harden also endorses Beats by Dre headphones, using social media and traditional advertising to promote the brand. Apart from the formerly mentioned names, the Clippers guard also endorsed brands like Mutual Auto Insurance, Gopuff, Panini, and Saks Fifth Avenue. He makes about $45 million in total from his endorsements.

James Harden Girlfriend

As of early 2025, James Harden is currently in a relationship with Paije Speights, a fashion designer. The couple made their relationship public when both of them appeared at the former NBA player Rajon Rondo’s wedding in June 2024. They entered the wedding and it was the talk of the town because Paije even caught the bridal bouquet from Rondo’s bride, LaToia Fitzgerald. It was a total coincidence because Paije later clarified on her social media, “I wasn’t even participating lol. I’m standing outside the circle in the back. The bouquet landed right at my feet. Hey a win is a win.”

Harden reacted in his own way to the Instagram story by reposting the quote with the deer in the headlights expression meme. It was a laughter riot for James Harden’s fans. Lately, he was seen with his beau during New Year’s Eve when Speights shared a series of pictures with Harden captioned, “New year. Same us.”

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James Harden Parents

Monja Willis and James Harden Sr. are the parents of James Harden. His father played basketball for Arizona State University and even made it to the Golden State Warriors during the 1978 NBA Draft as a second-round pick. But he never debuted in an NBA game. So, he started playing international basketball league to make a fortune. Amid all of this, Monja single-handedly raised Harden while doing the job.

Monja Willis was a nurse in California, and later she relocated to Arizona to work as a medical administrator. Surprisingly, involving her kids in sports was just a way for Monja to keep them out of trouble. However, Harden’s passion for basketball outdid everything.

James Harden Shoes

Harden started his shoe journey with Nike. He signed a deal with the brand in 2009 and then again in 2013. However, to fans’ surprise, Harden switched to Adidas during his rise to success during his stint with the Houston Rockets. He inked a 13-year, $200 million contract with Adidas in 2015. The Los Angeles Clippers guard holds the honor of having the second-longest running sneaker line with the brand behind Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard.

He got an Adidas Harden shoe lined and has released eight signature shoe editions since he inked the deal. On the switch that he made to Adidas, Harden said, “It’s about the voice, it’s about creating, it’s about the things I have in my hand, designing and wanting it to get out so people around the world can get it.” His signature shoe line was initiated with the Adidas Harden Vol. 1 in 2016.

Over time, the shoe line evolved with annual releases. Last year in December, he released the Harden Vol. 9. It features multi-directional traction that offers a radial traction pattern for a quick change of direction and pace to make moves at the drop of a feather. The ‘Cyber Metallic’ version of this shoe line will officially launch on Saturday, January 25, 2025. 

Usually, the basketball shoes are considered classy for the outings or off the court, apart from Jordans. However, James Harden makes sure that the shoes that he makes are suitable on and off the court.

James Harden Jersey

James Harden wore two numbers during his stint in the league while playing for five different teams. While playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Brooklyn Nets, James Harden wore the number 13 jersey in different colors and themes.

Wearing the number 1 jersey for the Philadelphia 76ers was a compulsion for Harden. Apparently, the 76ers had retired the number 13 jersey in honour of the NBA Hall of Fame Wilt Chamberlain. However, he continued with the number 1 jersey number when he joined the Los Angeles Clippers.

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