“Going to shave my beard in a few weeks”: When James Harden hilariously promised to get rid the iconic ‘Beard’ on NBA Draft night in 2009

James Harden didn’t do good on his promise of shaving his beard despite claiming he would in a few weeks, during the 2009 NBA Draft. 

Rip Hamilton’s mask, Anthony Davis’s unibrow, James Harden’s beard; the list goes on and on regarding some of the most iconic looks players have had for practically their entire career. James Harden is, as previously mentioned, is one of these players due to the amount of time he’s had his beard, coupled with its length. 

‘The Beard’ has been through it all with Harden however. Everything from his days as a sixth man behind Thabo Sefolosha to blossoming into an MVP with the Houston Rockets and now, playing alongside his OKC Thunder teammate from years past, Kevin Durant, on the Nets; James Harden and his beard have been inseparable.

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The beard has become such a staple of Harden’s brand that he’s had several commercials revolve around the premise of his facial hair, most notably an advert for Footlocker in the mid-2010s. 

James Harden failed to shave his beard, like he promised. 

The 2009 NBA Draft brought along several gems that bloomed into superstars and franchise guys as they developed. Steph Curry brought 3 championships to the Bay, Blake Griffin finished 3rd in MVP voting when with the Clippers, and DeMar DeRozan helped keep the mid-range alive while also being the face of the Toronto Raptors for over half a decade. 

James Harden is no different as he carried the Houston Rockets to several successful seasons, reminiscent of the Tracy Mcgrady years, with slightly more success. Picked 3rd overall in 2009 by the Thunder, Harden was asked many questions on Draft day. However, one stuck out as he was asked when he would shave his beard.

The Beard never left! @JHarden13 at the 2009 NBA Draft

2020 #NBADraft: Wednesday, 8:00 PM ET, ESPN pic.twitter.com/Q1uXfuHShh

— NBA (@NBA) November 17, 2020

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To this, the Arizona State alum responded with, “I’ll keep it for a few more weeks, but I might want to shave it to try something different. Maybe look younger but I’ll take that into consideration.” 

Fast-forward 12 years and it’s safe to say that NBA fans are delighted by the fact that James Harden broke that promise and kept his now, forever iconic beard.