James Harden

At 34 years old, James Harden has this physical status:

James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

In 2009, he played for basketball for Arizona State, where he was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year.

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Harden with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft.

He was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year by the Thunder in 2012 and helped the Thunder advance to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat in five games. Harden was drafted to Houston before the 2012–13 NBA season.

During his time with the Rockets, he became one of NBA's top shooting guards and was praised as one of the best shooting guard in the NBA as well as one of the top overall players in the league.

Harden led the league in scoring in 2018 and was named NBA Most Valuable Player.

He has been a seven-time NBA All-Star, and has received All-NBA Team awards six times, including five times to the first team. Harden is a two-time member of the United States national basketball team, winning gold medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Personal life

Harden is the youngest of three children. Their mother suffered with a string of miscarriages prior to her son's birth, after that of his older sister. Harden is a Christian. "I just want to thank God for all he has done in my life," he has expressed about his faith. In 2009, Harden began growing his signature beard after being too sedent to shave. His beard has appeared on televisions and T-shirts, and it has earned him an honor and a special candy with Trolli's, where a representation of his face and beard was seen on each gummy.

Adidas, a sports clothing company, presented Harden with an endorsement contract worth $200 million over the next 13 years on August 3, 2015. Harden became a member of Houston's professional soccer teams on July 18, 2019; the Houston Dynamo of MLS; and the Houston Dash of NWSL. "Houston is my home now, and I saw this as a way to invest in my city and also extend my company interests at the same time," Harden said.

Daryl Morey, the Houston Rockets' general manager, sent a tweet on October 4, 2019, which supports the 2019-20 Hong Kong protests. The Chinese Basketball Association's suspension of its partnership with the Houston Rockets was a result of Morey's tweet. "We regret," Harden said of China later. "We love China."

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High school career

Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California. In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.2 points as Artesia defeated Artesia 28-5. In his junior year, he raised his stats to 18.8 points, 7.7 boards, and 3.5 assists, leading Artesia to the California state championship and a 33–1 record. In Harden's last year, Artesia emerged as state champions after losing 33–2. During the previous season, Harden had similar figures: 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. He was named a McDonald's All-American, as well as receiving second-team Parade All-American awards.

Pump-N-Run Elite, his AAU team, also helped with the 2006 Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship. In the victory over a DC Assault team that featured Michael Beasley, Nolan Smith, and Austin Freeman, Harden scored 34 points. Harden had 33 points in the game against Houston Hoops, who were playing on the same day. Pump-N-Run Elite defeated Kevin Love's Southern California All-Stars in the final.

College career

Arizona State was ranked ninth in the Pac-10 Conference during Harden's freshman year. The Sun Devils defeated the Sun Devils 21–13 (9–9) finishing tied for fifth in the Pac-10 with 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. For the 2008 NCAA tournament, they were deemed a bubble team. They were chosen to the 2008 NIT field and defeated Alabama State and Southern Illinois before falling to defending national champion Florida. They were left out of the tournament.

Harden was named first-team All-Pac-10 and was named to the conference all-freshman team after his freshman year. The NABC and the USBWA also named him first team All-District by the NABC and the USBWA. Harden, who is now in his sophomore year, appeared on several pre-season All-American lists and the Sports Illustrated college basketball preview issue. He was chosen to be a member of the Wooden Award's preseason watch list. In an 88-58 victory over UTEP, Harden scored a career-high 40 points on November 30, 2008.

Harden's sophomore campaign saw him score by 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Following Arizona State's loss by USC at the Staples Center, he was named to the 2009 All-Pac 10 Tournament Team. Harden was named Player of the Year by the Pacific-10 Conference after the conference season. He was also named a consensus All-American. Harden declared for the 2009 NBA draft following the conclusion of the season (a second-round NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse). Rob Pelinka was hired as his agent by him.

Professional career

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Harden with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft. During the 2009–2010 season, he posted his fourth best 3-point percentage for a player under the age of 21 (minimum of 150 attempts). He scored seven straight 3-point field goals in two games (November 18 and 20, respectively), his highest single 3-point field goals since Houston guard Michael Dickerson's appearance in May 1999. On December 7, 2009, he scored a season-high 26 points against the Golden State Warriors. At the end of the season, he was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.

He scored 10-plus points on 54 occasions during the 2010–11 season, including a season-high 26 points against the Phoenix Suns on March 6, 2011.

In 62 games (two starts), Harden averaged 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, as he received the NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award.

In all but four of his appearances this season, Harden scored in double figures. On April 18, 2012, he scored a season-high 40 points against Phoenix, becoming the first NBA player in a reserve role to score 40 points since Dallas guard Rodrigue Beaubois in March 2010. Harden helped the Thunder advance to the 2012 NBA Finals, where the Miami Heat defeated them in five games.

Oklahoma City tried to attract Harden to a four-year contract extension worth between $52 and $55 million during the 2012 free agency period. Harden argued that he was given too little time to consider the offer later.

Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets on October 27, 2012, alongside Daequan Cook, Cole Aldrich, and Lazar Hayward in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, two first round picks (which became Steven Adams in 2013 and Mitch McGary in 2014), and a second round pick (which became lueth Abrines in 2013). Despite previously only playing a supporting role behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey called Harden a "foundational" player and expected him to be Houston's most versatile player. Harden signed a five-year deal with the Rockets on October 31, 2012.

In a 105-96 victory over the Detroit Pistons, he became the first NBA player to score 37 or more points in his team debut, while still racking 37 points. He was his fourth NBA player to reach those numbers in a single game and tied for the third-highest point total for a NBA player in his rookie season (most for the Rockets). He scored 45 points against the Atlanta Hawks two days later. His 82 total points were the most scored by a player in his first two games with a team in NBA history, beating Wilt Chamberlain's record of 79 points in his first two games with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959. On February 2, 2013, he recorded his first triple-double of his career against the Charlotte Bobcats, scoring 21 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Harden was selected as a reserve for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, marking his first All-Star pick. In a 143-138 victory over the East, he had 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists. In a 122-119 victory over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on February 20, 2013, Harden scored a career-high 46 points.

In his first season with Houston, Harden had one of the best statistical seasons in team history. He averaged 25.9 points (fifth best in the NBA), 4.9 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 78 games, becoming just the fifth player in team history to reach 2,000 points in a single campaign (2,023 points). He set a new record for free throws made in a season (630 FTM in 1981–82), making Malone the only two Rockets players to reach 600 free throws made in a single season. Harden was a member of Gilbert Arenas (2005-06 and 2006–07), Kobe Bryant (2005–06 and 2007–08) and Jerry Stackhouse (2000–01) as the only four NBA players to earn at least 600 free throws made and hit 150 or more 3-pointers in a season. As the only Rockets to ever win Player of the Week awards three or more times in a season, Tracy McGrady (four times in 2004–05) and Hakeem Olajuwon (three times in 1992–93). He was selected to the 2012–13 All-NBA Third Team for his first All-NBA Team pick, but he was the seventh player in Rockets history to earn All-NBA accolades.

The head coaches had chosen Harden as a reserve for the 2014 NBA All-Star Game, his second straight All-Star pick. He was later announced as a replacement starter for the All-Star Game, where he had eight points, five assists, one rebound, and one steal in 23:46 minutes of action. During the week, he was twice named Western Conference Player of the Week, and both appeared in consecutive weeks (February 24 – March 3–9). He was the first Rockets player to earn Player of the Week recognition for three weeks in a row. Harden made his first appearance in NBA history on two or fewer field goals (2–9 FG), finishing with a career-best 22-of-25 from the stripe and tied for single-game records (22–27 FT by Sleepy Floyd in February 1991). Harden played in his 120th game with Houston, scoring 23 points on 12-for-12 from the foul line to become just the third player to score at least 3,000 points in his first 120 games with the Rockets, joining Elvin Hayes (3,320) and Tracy McGrady (3,056). In a 129–103 victory over the Sacramento Kings on February 25, 2014, he scored a season-high 43 points. He received All-NBA First Team awards at the end of the season.

Harden was in MVP contention for the first two months of the season. In a 113-109 overtime win over the Sacramento Kings on December 11, 2014, he scored a season-high 44 points. In a 108-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets, he earned his third triple-double in his career, with 24 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds. In a 110-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, he tied his season high with 44 points on December 22, 2014.

Harden set a new season high against the Indiana Pacers on January 19, 2015. On February 8, 2015, he tied for the first time with 45 points against the Trail Blazers. In a 113–102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 23, 2015, he achieved his second triple-double of the season, with 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. In a 103-93 victory over the Detroit Pistons, he recorded his third triple-double of the season with 38 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. He recorded a career-high 50 points against the Denver Nuggets on March 19, 2015. On April 1, 2015, he topped that record by 51 points against the Kings. It was his 33rd 30-point game of the season and his ninth 40-point game of the season. He was the first player in franchise history to play two 50-point games in a season. For his 10th 40-point game of the season, he had 41 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder four days earlier. In a 117-91 victory over the Utah Jazz, Harden scored his fourth triple-double of the season on April 15, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. He helped the Rockets win their first division title since 1994 and clinched the No. 1 spot. In the Western Conference, there are two seeds. Harden was elected to the All-NBA First Team once more, finishing second in the NBA MVP voting behind Stephen Curry. Harden was named the inaugural National Basketball Players Association MVP for the 2014–15 season later this year.

Harden had his first career playoff triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and ten assists in Game 5 of the Rockets' second round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers. Harden scored a career-high 45 points in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors. Harden had a forgettable finale in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, with a record 13 turnovers and 14 points on 2-of-11 shooting.

On November 6, Harden scored 43 points against the Sacramento Kings and 46 against the Los Angeles Clippers the next night. He became the first Rocket to score 43-plus points in consecutive games since Malone's streak of three games began during the 1981-82 season. After the Rockets started the season with a 4–7 record, head coach Kevin McHale was fired on November 18. In an 108-103 overtime victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, Harden scored 45 points later that night. In a 116-114 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on November 27, he scored 50 points. In his third game with 50 or more points on the line, Harden was 14 for 28 from the field and 16 for 20 at the line.

Harden lost 123–114 to the Detroit Pistons on January 20, his first triple-double of the season and seventh of his career. In a game that Wilt Chamberlain had 53 points, 32 rebounds, and 14 assists for Philadelphia in March 1968, he became the first player to have at least 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists. In a 115-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on January 24, he had his second triple-double of the season, with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists. In a 112–109 victory over the Toronto Raptors, he recorded his third triple-double of the season, with 32 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. Harden was averaging point, 152 assists, and 102 rebounds in a single month after Oscar Robertson did it in December 1967. Harden finished the 2015–16 season with 374 turnovers, the highest figure for the NBA in 1977–78, when Artis Gilmore led the way. Harden dominated points (29), assists (7.5), and rebound (6.1) to join LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Oscar Robertson as the only NBA players to average at least 29 points, seven assists, and six rebounds in a season.

Harden signed a four-year, $118.1 million contract extension with the Rockets on July 9, 2016. Harden will begin the 2016-17 season as a head coach Mike D'Antoni. In the Los Angeles Lakers' 120-114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on October 26, Harden had 34 points, a career-high 17 assists, and eight rebounds, his second player in NBA history to reach at least 30 points and 15 assists in an opener; Tim Hardaway had 32 and 18 for the Golden State Warriors in 1990. He had 15 points, 14 assists, and 11 rebounds in just three quarters on December 14, leading the Rockets to a 132-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings. It was Harden's fifth triple-double of the season and his 14th of his career, tying him with Hakee Olajuwon for the first time in franchise history. He tied for his sixth triple-double of the season and his 15th overall. Harden was instrumental in the Rockets' 122-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, setting a NBA record of 24 three-pointers as he finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. In a 115-109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on December 23, he tied a career high with 17 assists. In a 140-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 30, he recorded his seventh triple-double of the season, with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Harden won by 129-122 over the New York Knicks on December 31, 2016, becoming the first NBA player to finish with a 50-15 stat line. He tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most points in a triple-double in NBA history—Chamberlain surpassed him in the 1967–68 season, with 53 points, 32 rebounds, and 14 assists. Harden set career records for points and three-pointers (with nine) and matched his career best for assists. It was his 17th triple-double and his fourth straight 50-point game. In a win over the Washington Wizards two days later, he earned his ninth triple-double of the season and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for the third time. It was Harden's 12th Player of the Week award, tying Hakeel for the most Week in franchise history. Harden's career-best December result earned him the Western Conference Player of the Month award.

Both his 10th and 11th triple-doubles played in back-to-back games on January 8 and 10, both resulting in victories. His two appearances made him the fourth player in NBA history with at least 40 points, ten rebounds, and 10 assists in a row—Pete Maravich, Michael Jordan, and Russell Westbrook were the only three others to do it. In back-to-back games on January 15, he recorded his 12th and 13th triple-doubles, as well as his 12th and 13th triple-doubles. With 51 points, 13 rebounds, and 13 assists in a 123–118 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on January 27, he registered his 14th triple-double of the season, becoming the first player in NBA history to score multiple 50-point triple-doubles in a season. Harden scored his 10,000th point as a Rocket against the Chicago Bulls on February 3, defeating Yao Ming for his sixth spot in franchise history. The Rockets defeated the Phoenix Suns 133-102 on February 11, scoring 40 points in three quarters (his ninth 40-point game of the season). He only played 29 minutes against the Suns to become the first Rockets player since Sleepy Floyd in 1991 to score 40 points in less than 30 minutes. In a 117-109 loss to the Miami Heat on February 15, he recorded his 15th triple-double of the season with 38 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. He had four straight triple-doubles between March 12 and 18, giving him his 19 for the season. He finished the regular season with 22 triple-doubles and became the first NBA player to finish with at least 2,000 points (2,356), 600 assists (907), and 600 rebounds (659). He came in second in league MVP voting to former teammate Westbrook.

Harden posted his second straight playoff appearance against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the Rockets' second round playoff series; the Rockets lost by 3–2; the Rockets lost by 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 110–107 overtime loss. The Rockets were defeated by the Spurs in Game 6 with a 114–75 loss. Harden tied his season low of ten points by shooting 2-of-11 before fouling out with 3:15 remaining.

Harden signed a four-year contract with the Rockets on July 8, 2017, giving him a six-year contract with $228 million guaranteed—the richest contract in NBA history. In a 137–110 victory over the Utah Jazz on November 5, he scored a career-high 56 points, just shy of Calvin Murphy's 1978 franchise record of 57 points. In a 50-point win, Harden joined Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to have at least 10 assists and shoot better than 75% from the field. He had 23 of his 48 points in the second quarter in the second quarter, but the Rockets had 90 points in the first half en route to a 142-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on November 16. The Rockets shot 56% of their first-half shots to earn the second-most points in a first-half NBA history. He went on to score at least 20 points in each of the team's first 20 games of the season. Harden was named Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in October and November, marking the fifth time a Rocket has been honoured. He scored 48 points on December 9, his second in a row since the 1990-1991 season.

Despite Harden's 51 points, the Rockets were defeated 122-116 by the Los Angeles Lakers on December 20, snapping their 14-game winning streak. In his 30th straight game, Harden tied for the most points in his 30th straight game. In the 1981–82 season, Malone held the previous record in 29 straight games. In a 128-118 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Harden had his second straight 51-point win in a two-day loss. It was Harden's third 50-point game of the season, and it was the first player in franchise history to play two straight 50-point games. Since Kobe Bryant did so in four straight games in March 2007, he became the first NBA player to score 50 or more in consecutive games. Harden scored 40 points against the Lakers on December 31, before leaving late in the fourth quarter due to a hamstring strain. The Rockets beat the Rockets 148–142 in double overtime without Harden. He was out for two weeks with a Grade 2 hamstring strain the following day. As a result, he skipped seven games. In a 115–113 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on January 26, he had 23 points and 11 assists. With 3,347, passing Allen Leavell's 3,399, Harden has risen to second in Rockets history in assists. Harden made his first appearance in NBA history on January 30, scoring 60 points as part of a triple-double, shooting with ten rebounds and 11 assists for his third triple-double of the season on January 30, defeating the Orlando Magic 114–107 for his first appearance in the NBA. Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter to overthrowrown Calvin Murphy's 57 points in 1978 to tie Houston's single-game scoring record. It was his fourth 50-point game of the season, and it exceeded his previous record of 56 points set against Utah in November. With 18 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds in three quarters, he helped the Rockets win 60 victories in a season for the first time in franchise history, 35th of career) in an 118-99 win over the Atlanta Hawks. The Rockets were ranked No. 5 in the regular season during the regular season. With a franchise-best 65–17 record, 1 seed makes it to the first time in franchise history, winning the 1st title in franchise history. Harden won his first scoring title, averaging 30.4 points per game, second in franchise history to Malone's 31.1 in 1981-1982.

Harden scored 44 points in Game 1 of the Rockets' first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves, defeating them 104–101. Harden scored 41 points in a 110-96 victory in Game 1 of their second-round match against the Jazz. It was his sixth 40-point playoff game of his career. Harden scored 41 points in a 119-106 loss to the Golden State Warriors in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. Harden scored a game-high 30 points against the Warriors in Game 4 to help the Rockets keep the game alive with a 95–92 victory. In Game 6, he scored 32 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, leading to a 115-86 loss. Despite a 32-point effort by Harden in Game 7, the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs with a 101-92 loss. He was only 2-of-13 on 3-pointers, and Houston made just 7 of 44, with 27 in straight misses. Harden was named NBA Most Valuable Player for the 2017–18 season in June, making him the third player in franchise history to receive the award, joining Moses Malone (1978–79) and Hakeem (1993–94). He was named National Basketball Players Association MVP for the 2017-18 season in the same month, for the second time.

With an 11–14 record, the Rockets began the season. Harden had lead the Rockets to a 21–15 record by the end of December, with fellow All-Star Chris Paul out with a hamstring injury. He had 43 points, ten rebounds, and 12 assists in three quarters on January 11, leading the Rockets to a 141-113 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. With at least five points, he also made eight 3-pointers to lift his NBA record to 12 games in a row. It was Harden's 13th game of the season with 40 points, surpassing Malone's franchise record and seventh in the previous nine games, as he continued to lead the team with Paul and Eric Gordon out with injuries. In a 116-109 loss to the Orlando Magic, Harden scored 38 points on 3-point attempts but only 1 for 17 on 3-point attempts.

In a 112–94 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies, he scored 57 points in a 112–94 victory. In a 145-142 overtime loss to the Brooklyn Nets on January 16, he scored 58 points. In a 114–110 victory over the New York Knicks on January 23, he scored a career-high 61 points to go with 15 rebounds, marking the fourth-longest streak for 30-point games in NBA history at 21—at the time, Wilt Chamberlain led the three longest streaks in NBA history (65, 31 and 25). Harden extended his streak of 30-point games to 24 against the New Orleans Pelicans on January 29 with 37 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. Harden scored 30 points against the Denver Nuggets on February 1 and 43 points against the Utah Jazz on February 2, the third longest streak in NBA history for games with 30-plus points. Harden scored 30 or more points in the 31st straight game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 13, tying Chamberlain for the second time in league history. Harden scored 30 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 21, his first game after the All-Star break, in his 32nd consecutive game with 30-plus points.

After missing the Rockets' next game due to an illness and a strained neck, he returned to Atlanta on February 25 with 28 points against the Atlanta Hawks, snapping his 32-game streak with at least 30 points. In a 121–118 victory over the Miami Heat on February 28, he scored 58 points in a 121-118 victory. In a win over the Hawks on March 19, he scored 31 points and became the first NBA player to score 30 or more points against all 29 other teams in a single season. In a 126–125 overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on March 20, he scored 57 points, his seventh game of the season. He tied his career high with 61 points, including 27 in the first quarter, to lead the Rockets to a 111-105 victory over the San Antonio Spurs. He earned his fourth Western Conference Player of the Week award of the 2018–19 season for these performances.

In a 119–108 victory over the Sacramento Kings on March 31, Harden had 50 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, his ninth 50-point game of the regular season. It was his fifth triple-double in his career, the most of any player in NBA history. He was also the first NBA player to make 2,000 3-pointers in their career. After winning 135-103 over the Los Angeles Clippers on April 3, he became the third person in NBA history to record 2,700+ points and 500+ assists in a single season. Harden's 30-point, 13-rebound, nine-assist, and two-steal performance tied for the most 30-point games in one season for any NBA player in the last 30 years (Michael Jordan, 1989-90) with 149 points, five rebounds, and two steals in one season; and left Michael Jordan as the only NBA player to average at least 30 points, five rebounds, and two steals in one season. He finished the season with the most scoring margin (8.1 points per game) over the second-leading scorer since Wilt Chamberlain in 1962–63.

Harden led the Rockets to a Game 2 victory over the Utah Jazz with 32 points, 13 rebounds, and ten assists, his third double-double during the postseason, giving the Rockets a 2–0 series lead in the first round. He had one of his worst shooting nights of his career in Game 3 against the Miami Heat, defeating Michael Jordan's record for the most missed consecutive shots without a make in a game since Michael Jordan went 0-of-11 against the Miami Heat in the 1997 Eastern Conference Finals. However, he ended the game with 22 points on 3-of-20 shooting, ten assists, six steals, and four rebounds to lead the Rockets to a 104-101 victory, putting the record tieless. In the conference semifinals, the Rockets lost 4–2 to the Warriors. He was unanimously selected to his fifth All-NBA First Team and was a finalist for the MVP award at the end of the season, and he was revealed as a finalist for the MVP award.

Harden, who had a poor start to the season by shooting 28.6% from the field and 15% from the three-point line in the first three games, scored 59 points on 18–32 shooting from the field and nine assists in a 159-158 victory over the Washington Wizards on October 30, 2019—two points away from his career high. Harden made a streak of having a 50-point game in six seasons in a row, the second longest streak in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain (10 seasons, 1959–69). He was named Player of the Week by the Rockets on November 11, 2019, scoring 23.2 points on 43.1% shooting; 2.33 steals; and 1.33 blocks. In 318 minutes of play this season, Harden has scored 334 points, the highest total in the first nine games of a season since Michael Jordan scored 337 in 1988–89. Harden had 39 3-pointers in the fourth game of a season, and the most by a player other than Stephen Curry. Harden had his fourth career 60-point game against the Atlanta Hawks on November 30, 2019, tied for third place with Michael Jordan, with a season-high 60 points along with 8 assists in 31 minutes. Harden, Klay Thompson, and Kobe Bryant are the only players to reach 60 points in just three quarters in this game. His 24 shot attempts are the fewest in a 60-point game in NBA history. Harden is the only live player to have scored more than once.

In a 116-110 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 11, 2019, Harden played his fourth 50-point game of the season with 55 points on an efficient 20-of-34 field goal shooting and 10-of-18 from three. Stephen Curry (15), Klay Thompson (5), and J.R. Smith (3) were among the four NBA players with multiple games of ten or more 3-pointers. He continued his scoring in the 127-107 victory over the Orlando Magic on December 13, 2019, his second time in his career where he has scored back-to-back 50-point games—in addition to seven assists and five rebounds. Harden became the second NBA player to score 10+ 3PM in a row, joining Stephen Curry, who did this in February 2016, and he also passed Paul Pierce for eighth in the all-time career three-pointers list. He also became the first NBA player to score 50+ points and 10+ 3 p.m. in back-to-back games. Just three times had a player attempted seven or fewer free throws when scoring 54 or more points in a game before those two performances; Harden did it twice this week. With a 139-125 win over the Phoenix Suns on December 21, 2019, Harden defeated Elgin Baylor for the most 40-point games in NBA history. During the month, he became the Western Conference Player of the Month for December for his historic and effective scoring efforts. Despite starting his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder as the NBA's top scorer with 19,578 points going back to January 1, 2010.

In the Rockets' first game after the suspension of the season due to COVID-19, Harden became the second highest scorer in franchise history after a 49 point, 9 rebound, 8 steal, 3 block, and 1 turnover on 70% shooting from the field in a 153-149 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Harden was the first player since Wilt Chamberlain to win at least 20 games of 40+ points in a three-year span. For the third season in a row, he was the league's scoring champion and the league leader in total steals. He was also selected to the All-Seeding First Team, becoming a finalist for the MVP award and then named to the NBA's All-Seeding First Team. The Lakers kept Houston out of the playoffs in the second round.

The Rockets' general manager Morey and head coach D'Antoni were fired during the offseason. In November 2020, Harden demanded a career but reported to the training camp late. In a 128–126 overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on December 26, he scored a season-high 44 points and tied a career-high 17 assists.

Harden was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a four-team contract that involved the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, with Rodions Kurucs, Dante Exum, Victor Oladipo, four first-round draft picks, and four first-round pick swaps to the Rockets. In a 122–115 victory over the Orlando Magic, he scored 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 14 assists, becoming the first player in franchise history and the seventh player in NBA history to record a triple-double in their team debut on January 16. In addition, Harden's first appearance in the NBA for the first time in a player's debut with the Nets, setting a franchise record for the most assists in a player's first game with the Nets. Harden received his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week award on February 2nd after posting a double-double average of 25.3 points and 11.3 assists in three games. In a 108-98 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden had a double-double with 23 points and 11 assists, becoming the first franchise player to achieve double-double in eleven consecutive games. After leading the Nets to four straight victories, Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on February 22. He had 31.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 10.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. Harden was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, his ninth straight All-Star pick.

In a 124–113 overtime victory over the San Antonio Spurs on March 1, Harden logged his seventh triple-double as a Net, with 30 points, 15 assists, and 14 rebounds, giving the franchise their first victory in 19 years. Harden made history by becoming the first player in league history to record zero turnovers in a game since individual turnovers were first measured during the 1977–78 season. Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of February the following day. The award was his eleventh of his career and first as a Net, making him the first Net to win the accolade since Vince Carter in April 2007. In February, Harden led the franchise to an Eastern Conference-best 9–4 record, with averages of 25.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, an Eastern Conference-leading 10.7 assists, and 1.2 steals in 36.8 minutes per game. In a 100-95 victory over the Detroit Pistons, Harden tallied his ninth triple-double as a Net with 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, surpassing Larry Bird on the league's all-time scoring list. He now ranks 34th overall with 21,792 points, one more point than Bird.

In a 117–112 victory over the New York Knicks on March 15, Harden recorded his tenth triple-double as a Net, with 21 points, 15 assists, and 15 rebounds, becoming the first franchise player to score at least 15 points, 15 rebounds, and 15 assists in a game. In a 124–115 victory over the Indiana Pacers on March 17, Harden had a season-high 40 points, ten rebounds, and 15 assists, naming Carter as the only Nets players with a 40-point triple-double. He was also the fourth player in NBA history with 100 40-point games, and his second all-time triple-doubles with 16, second behind only Oscar Robertson who had 24. Harden's first two points of his career earned him 21,815 points in his career, pushing him above Gary Payton to 33rd overall in the league's all-time scoring rankings, although his fourth assist of the first quarter lifted him to 45th place in the NBA's all-time assist leader's first quarter. In a 113-111 victory over the Detroit Pistons, Harden, who missed a game against the Utah Jazz due to neck pain, returned to the Nets and recorded a season-high 44 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists.

In a 109–107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 29, Harden earned his twelfth triple-double in 32 games as a Net, with 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists, tying Jason Kidd's franchise record for triple-doubles in a season where he did it twice in 80 and 51 games, respectively. Harden was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for the month of March on April 1st. Harden's second appearance as a Net, making him 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 in 1979-1980. He also set a new record for being the first franchise player to be named Player of the Month in a row. In March, Harden led the Nets to an NBA-best 11–2 record, with averages of 27.9 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 87.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line, 8.8 rebounds, 11.5 assists, and 1.6 steals in 38.8 minutes per game. For the first time since 2003, Harden's franchise-record six triple-doubles of the month brought the Nets to first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2003. Harden returned to action on May 12 after missing 18 games due to a tightened hamstring. In a 128-116 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, Harden went off the bench for the first time since 2012. He had 18 points and 11 assists.

In Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs, Harden made a triple-double with 34 points, ten rebounds, and 10 assists, putting the series close. Harden re-injured his hamstring and missed the remainder of the game, as well as the next three games in the series. Harden returned to Game 5 of the series, a 114–108 victory. In Game 7, Harden had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists, giving the 111-115 overtime loss a 111-115 loss.

Harden defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 114–109 on October 22, 2021, advancing to fourth on the all-time three-pointers made list. In a 120–112 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on November 12, Harden had a season-high 39 points, 5 rebounds, and 12 assists. In a 115–113 victory over the Orlando Magic on November 19, Harden had 36 points, ten rebounds, and 8 assists. Harden began with health-and-safety legislation on December 14, causing him to miss the next three games.

In the 122-115 victory, Harden made his return against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 25, where he scored 36 points, ten rebounds, ten assists, and 3 blocks. In a 124-108 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 27, Harden had 39 points, 8 rebounds, and a season-high 15 assists. In a 120-105 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on January 15, 2022, Harden had 27 points, 8 rebounds, and tied a season-high 15 assists. In a 117-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on January 21, Harden scored 37 points, grabbed ten rebounds, and dished out 11 assists. Harden was named an Eastern Conference reserve for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game, his tenth straight All-Star pick.

The Nets traded Harden and Paul Millsap to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummond, and two first-round picks on February 10, 2022. In a 133-102 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on February 25, Harden made his Sixers debut, adding 27 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds. In a 125–109 victory over the New York Knicks on February 27, Harden recorded his 68th triple-double and first as a 76er, with his 29 points, ten rebounds, and five steals. In his first two games with a new franchise, he became the first player in NBA history to score 25 plus points and ten or more assists. Harden made his 2,561st three-pointer to top Reggie Miller (2,560) for third place in total NBA three-pointers made on March 10, defeating Ray Allen and Stephen Curry.

In a 131-111 victory over the Toronto Raptors on April 16, Harden recorded a double-double of 22 points and 14 assists in Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs. Harden was unbeaten in Game 6 on April 28, but the Sixers advanced to the Eastern semifinals on April 28 with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 15 assists. Harden won by 116–108 over the Miami Heat on May 8, with 31 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists. In the fourth quarter, Harden scored 16 of his 31 points to tie the series at 2–2. In Game 6, Philadelphia was defeated by Miami, where Harden scored 11 points and made four turnovers. In the second quarter, his last basket had 3:31 left.

Harden re-signed with the 76ers on a two-year, $68.6 million contract, which also includes a player option for the 2023-2024 season.

National team career

Harden was a member of the United States national team that won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, as well as a member of the team that won the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014. Harden was a candidate for the 2016 Olympics, but he was forced to withdraw from the team due to his absence.

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