The LA Clippers have signed guard James Harden, it was announced by President of Basketball Operations Lawrence Frank.
“James was everything we hoped he would be when we acquired him from Philadelphia last season: a proven scorer, gifted passer and natural facilitator who protects the ball and makes the game easier for others,” said Frank. “James cares about his craft and works tirelessly at it. We were better for his presence last year and we will be again.”
In his first season with the Clippers, Harden appeared in 72 games, holding averages of 16.6 points, 8.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals. The 6-foot-5 guard had the most triple-doubles in a single season for the Clippers since the 2000-01 campaign and became the first player in franchise history to reach the 25,000-point milestone in a Clippers’ uniform.
A native of Los Angeles, Calif., Harden is a three-time NBA scoring champion (2018, 2019, 2020) and NBA MVP (2018) who has played in 1,072 career games and holds averages of 24.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals. In 15 NBA seasons, Harden is one of four players in league history to have averaged at least 20 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in three or more seasons. The only other players to do so more than once are Russell Westbrook (5) and Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson (5) and Magic Johnson (3). The third overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, Harden is one of four players in NBA history with at least 25,000 points, 7,000 assists and 6,000 rebounds and is a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.