James HARDEN

James Harden, often called "The Beard" for his distinctive look, impressed in his three years at Arizona State University (ASU). In 2009, his final season, he was named Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year and a consensus All-American. ASU recognised his achievements by retiring his number 13 jersey.

The Los Angeles native was picked third overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2009 NBA draft and made an immediate impact. He made seven consecutive three-point attempts over two games and earned All-Rookie Second Team honours.

His career really took off after he joined the Houston Rockets in 2012 after being named NBA Sixth Man of the Year. In his first season in Texas, he would make his first of 10 consecutive All-Star game appearances and helped the USA win gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Despite his great numbers and leadership, the Rockets were largely unable to go on regular deep post-season runs. When they did, in 2015 and 2018, they found the Golden State Warriors in their path in the Western Conference Finals. Harden was named league MVP in 2018 when he also won the first of three successive NBA scoring titles.