James Harden named to All-NBA 3rd Team

HOUSTON – Houston Rockets guard James Harden was named to the 2012-13 All-NBA Third Team, which was announced today by the NBA as part of the All-NBA Teams announcement. This marks the first All-NBA Team selection for Harden, as well as the first for a Rockets player since Yao Ming earned All-NBA Second Team back in 2008-09. Overall, Harden is just the seventh player in Rockets history to earn All-NBA recognition.

Harden (6-5, 220, Arizona State), who averaged 26.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.00 steals and 1.00 blocks in six starts with the Rockets in their opening-round playoff series with the Oklahoma City Thunder, had one of the greatest statistical seasons in team history. Harden ranked fifth in the NBA in points per game (25.9), second in free throws made (674) and first in free throw attempts (792) in 2012-13. He became just the fifth member of the Rockets “2,000-point Club” this past season, joining Elvin Hayes, Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tracy McGrady as the only players in club annals to reach 2,000 points in one campaign. In addition to netting a career single-season best 23 30-point performances (Rockets record: 16-7), Harden surpassed Malone’s team mark for free throws made in a season (630 in 1981-82). He actually joined Gilbert Arenas (2005-06 and 2006-07), Kobe Bryant (2005-06 and 2007-08) and Jerry Stackhouse (2000-01) as the only four players in NBA history to record at least 600 free throws made and hit 150 or more 3-pointers in one season. Harden, who also ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.82) in 2012-13, had a team-high 21 games with at least three steals.

Harden was named the Western Conference Player of the Week three times, joining McGrady (four times in 2004-05) and Olajuwon (three times in 1992-93) as the only Rockets to ever capture Player of the Week honors three or more times in one season. Harden launched his Rockets career with 82 combined points over his first two outings with Houston. It marked the most scored by any player in his first two games with a team in NBA history (37 points on 10/31/12 at Detroit and 45 points on 11/2/12 at Atlanta). The previous mark was held by Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 79 points in his first two career games with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1959.

Below is a look at the all-time list of Rockets to earn All-NBA Team selection:

All-NBA

First Team

1979               Moses Malone

1982               Moses Malone

1987               Hakeem Olajuwon

1988               Hakeem Olajuwon

1989               Hakeem Olajuwon

1993               Hakeem Olajuwon

1994               Hakeem Olajuwon

1997               Hakeem Olajuwon

Second Team

1980               Moses Malone

1981               Moses Malone

1984               Ralph Sampson

1985               Ralph Sampson

1986               Hakeem Olajuwon

1990               Hakeem Olajuwon

1996               Hakeem Olajuwon

2007               Tracy McGrady

2007               Yao Ming

2009               Yao Ming

Third Team

1991               Hakeem Olajuwon

1995               Hakeem Olajuwon

1995               Clyde Drexler

1999               Hakeem Olajuwon

2004               Yao Ming

2005               Tracy McGrady

2006               Yao Ming

2008               Tracy McGrady

2008               Yao Ming

2013               James Harden