How James Harden Achieved a Net Worth of $145 Million

James Harden is a professional basketball player who has enjoyed a successful career in the sport since 2009. He is best known for playing for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association. However, he has also played for the United States national basketball team. He represented his country at the 2012 Summer Olympics, where the team won gold medals. Harden also represented his team at the 2014 FIBA World Cup. This player is six feet 5-inches tall, and he has played mostly in the shooting guard position. It is now estimated that James Harden has a net worth of $145 million, so how did he become so rich?

Early Life

James Harden was born on August 26, 1989. In his teens, he attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California. This was when it became apparent that he was a talented basketball player, and he played for the school team. At the same time, he also played for the AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite. After completing high school, Harden attended college in Arizona State and played for his college team. He enjoyed a successful college career and declared for the 2009 NBA draft at the end of his sophomore campaign. Harden employed Rob Pelinka as his agent.

Playing for Oklahoma City Thunder

Harden began his professional career in basketball with Oklahoma City Thunder, after he was selected with the third overall pick. He played for this team from2009 until 2012. According to Basketball-Reference, he began on a salary of just over $4 million per year. This had risen to an annual salary of $4.6 million by the time he left this team. Not only was this a financially lucrative start to his basketball career, but he also proved during this time his worth on the court. In his first season, he recorded the fourth-highest 3-point percentage for a player under 21 in NBA history. It is alleged that Oklahoma City Thunder attempted to retain Harden during the free agency period of 2012 and that they offered a four-year contract. This was worth between $52 million and $55 million. However, Harden said the team did not give him enough time to consider the offer, and he signed with the Houston Rockets.

Houston Rockets

Since signing with Houston rockets, this has remained Harden’s team to this day. His initial five-year contract was worth $80 million. He made his mark in the team straight away, as the same day as he signed the contract, he scored 37 points. He was the first person to do so while registering a double-assist total in a team debut. Throughout his first season, he continued to score high points that ranked him amongst the best basketball players of all-time. During his first season, Harden had one of the greatest statistical seasons in the team’s history. His success continued through to his second season, by the end of which he had earned All-NBA First Team honors. He was once again named to the All-NBA First Team in his third season. In total, he has earned All-NBA Team honors six times. And this has included five first-team selections.

In 2016, Harden renewed his contract with the Houston Rockets. He signed a four-year contract extension with them worth $118.1 million. At the same time, Mike D’Antoni was announced as the new head coach of the team, and he gave Harden the point guard role for the season. Harden broke several personal and franchise records throughout this season, securing his position as one of the team’s best players. By the beginning of the 2017 season, it was clear the contribution that Harden made to the success of the team. Another look was taken at his contract, and he signed a four-year extension worth $160 million. This pay rise reflected his value as a player. This deal puts Harden as the face of the Houston Rockets right up to the 2022-2023 season.

2018 was a particularly successful year in Harden’s career. He became the NBA scoring champion and was named the NBA most valuable player. Likewise, his success continued into 2019 when he was named as the NBA scoring champion for the second time. However, 2019 was also one of Harden’s worst years as he had a poor start to the season. This did not last, though, as he turned things around with what has been described as a scoring rampage. He ended the decade as the leading scorer in the NBA. His cumulative points total dating back to January 1, 2010, were 19,578.

Endorsements and Other Ventures

In 2013, James Arden agreed on an endorsement deal with Adidas, the sports apparel company. The deal is worth $200 million over a 13-year period. He has also had an endorsement with the candy company Trolli’s, and Harden’s face appeared on their goods. Another of Harden’s ventures is becoming a part-owner of two soccer teams: Houston Dash of NWSL and Houston Dynamo of MLS. He became a part-owner of these teams in 2019. He did this to expand his business interests and to invest in his city.

James Harden’s Net Worth

According to Sportscaster, James Harden has an estimated net worth of $145 million. He has made this predominantly from his sports career as a basketball player. He has also made some money through his endorsement deal, and this will increase his net worth in the future. Furthermore, Harden has made money through his part-ownership in soccer teams.

His Personal Life

James Harden is unmarried and has no children. He is the youngest of three children, and he has revealed that he was brought up as a Christian. His faith continues to be an important part of his life. Harden is known for his trademark beard, which he began growing in 2009. However, he has confessed that he only began to grow his beard because he was too lazy to shave.