Under the auspices of the city, state and country authorities, sports in Los Angeles are rapidly developing. The main goal of sports is to improve the health of the population. In addition, involving youth in sports activities has a positive impact on the city’s growth. The number of criminal cases is decreasing while the economic climate is improving. Los Angeles is home to many talented and successful athletes who glorify our city with their achievements every year. Today, we will talk about the famous American basketball player James Harden. He is known for ranking third among all basketball players in terms of performance. Read more about the life and success story of the athlete at i-los-angeles.com.
Basketball since childhood
The future sportsman was born in Los Angeles. Attending Artesia High School in Lakewood, James has practiced basketball since his child years. Our fellow countryman proved himself well by helping his team, Artesia, to enhance their results. Owing to the young basketball player, the team won the California state championship twice.
In college, our compatriot had a strong passion for basketball as well. He played for the Arizona State Sun Devils team.
Career development
Harden signed his first contract in 2009 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played for this team under the number 13. Later, he joined the Houston Rockets, where our compatriot significantly contributed to the team. As a result, The Houston Rockets made it to the playoffs.
In 2015, the basketball player broke his own record by scoring 51 points. Just three years later, James set the NBA record with a 60-point triple-double. Moreover, he managed to break the Houston Rockets’ record for the first time in forty years.
In 2018, James Harden was recognized as the NBA’s Most Valuable Player for the 2017-2018 season.
Our fellow countryman ensured his club a ringing triumph and recognition. That is why, after James left the team, the owner of the Rockets withdrew squad number 13. He did it in gratitude to Harden.
New teams and new records
In 2021, James started playing for the Brooklyn Nets under his number 13. The basketball player made a triple-double with 32 points and became the first player in franchise history to pass 14 assists, thus setting two club records.
A year later, our compatriot joined the Philadelphia 76ers. It was with this team that James Harden first changed his jersey number 13 to number 1. In 2022, he signed a contract with the Philadelphia 76ers worth over $68 million.
The most interesting part is that after the end of the 2022-2023 season, Harden became the first player in NBA history to finish the championship three times as the leader in average points scored and as the best passer.
About faith in God
We all know that American celebrities have turbulent personal lives, full of new relationships, constant scandals, intrigues and so on. However, our fellow countryman is not included in this list. James Harden is a Christian who once mentioned that he thanks God for everything he has achieved in his life.
Besides his high performance, the basketball player is famous for his signature beard. He has started growing it since 2009 because he was too lazy to shave. Later, his beard was even printed on t-shirts. The athlete is 5 ft 6 inches tall and weighs 100 kilograms.
That’s the success story of the famous American basketball player James Harden. We hope you learned more from our article about the popular fellow countryman.
Are you interested in basketball? Do you follow Harden’s career? We look forward to your comments on social networks.