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‘He threw a basketball at her’: James Harden’s mother recalls how Rockets star couldn’t flirt with a girl in school

Amulya Shekhar
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James Harden's mother recalls how Rockets star couldn't flirt with a girl in school

James Harden’s mother recounts a tale of how shy and unable to flirt he was in high school. Harden had basketball on his mind foremost.

The 2017-18 NBA MVP hails from one of the poorest suburbs of LA – Compton. The area has been home to innumerable famous personalities as well as sports stars, including the Williams sisters.

A flamboyant personality on and off the court today, Harden has developed a penchant for bucking fashion trends. But he wasn’t always this bold or comfortable around the fairer sex, as his mother laughingly recalls.

The time when James Harden threw a basketball at a girl trying to flirt with him

In high school, James was a sporting phenom and had much fanfare among his classmates and his ilk. As a prominent ball player, he was tipped to make the NBA even in those days.

His mother recounts a tale from when he was in his junior year of high school – hearsay from him apparently.

“He got in trouble one time in junior high, he threw a basketball at a girl..he wasn’t into dating, just wanted to play basketball. I think she was trying to flirt with him, so he threw the basketball at her. Sorry?”

Also Read: ‘James Harden & Russell Westbrook are in their 30s’: Rockets owner confirms if the two superstars will be traded

Later on in his professional career, Harden eased out around women. He’s even got a reputation as a great patron of strip clubs, with one particular establishment in H-Town having his jersey raised to its rafters.

Harden has also been involved with the glamorous Khloe Kardashian for a little while before breaking up.

Growing out of his awkward teenage phase was but a natural occurrence for the global superstar, who’s now recognized by his distinctive beard.

About the author

Amulya Shekhar

Amulya Shekhar

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Amulya Shekhar is a sports junkie who thrives on the thrills and frills of live sports action across basketball, football (the American variant works too), parkour, adventure sports. He believes sports connect us to our best selves, and he hopes to help people experience sports more holistically.

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