James Harden has left too many in the NBA community confused about his religion. Really, we aren’t sure anyone in the world is 100% sure about what that part of his background really is. As of now, at 33 years old, the man plays for the Philadelphia 76ers, and is still regarded as one of the best shooting guards in the National Basketball Association, and is also considered to be one of the top-tier players overall. Further, before his NBA career. He was a consensus All-American and even the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009 while playing college basketball for the Arizona State Sun Devils.
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And so, with him being a big deal, many remain curious about his religious beliefs. And in this article, that is exactly what we will shed some light on.
James Harden is a devout Christian
It is important to note that it is unclear whether James Harden is Catholic or not. However, he has been confirmed to be a devout Christian. In fact, as per ‘44 Bars’, the man has been known to often make statements about how he wished he prayed more ahead of making certain decisions about picking his next team in the NBA.
Further, it appears that the only reason he was ever suspected to be Muslim was due to his long, flowing beard. However, it is only so big in the first place, because he initially forgot to trim it past a certain point early on in his career, due to which it started to grow an identity of its own. And now, it’s bigger than it has ever been before. Additionally, the man refuses to trim it on his own, since he fears doing it horribly. And now, only the barber is allowed to use a trimmer on his beard, as per Beardoholic.
As per 44 Bars, he also wears a bracelet that reads ‘In Jesus’s name I play during games’, something that he also tweeted out after his record-setting debut in 2013. You see, the man scored a cumulative 82 points in his first 2 games for the franchise, overcoming Wilt Chamberlain’s 79, to set the record for the most points scored in the first two games for a team in the NBA by an individual player. And considering his most recent playoff career high of 45 points in game 1 against the Boston Celtics, the man hasn’t lost that spark just yet.
All in all, despite all the rumors and speculation his beard has caused, James Harden is reportedly a devout Christian. And as of now, the man seems to have no intentions of switching over to Islam or any other for that matter.
James Harden is of African-American descent
The man born on August 26 1989 was named James Edward Harden Jr. His place of birth was Los Angeles, California. He was born of African-American descent and is of American nationality.
James Harden played his high-school basketball at Artesia, leading them to an impressive 28-5 record in his sophomore year. During his time in college, the Sun Devils went 21-13, tying for 5th place in the Pac 10. James Harden averaged 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists at this time. They were then declared as a bubble team in the 2008 NCAA tournament.
After being disappointingly left out of the tournament, the Sun Devils were then chosen for the 2008 NIT field, where they amazingly defeated Alabama, and Southern Illinois before showing out and winning against the defending national champion in Florida.
A little note on James Harden’s parents and why he prefers not to put Jr. in his name
James Harden Jr was born to mother, Monja Wills, and father James Harden Sr. At the time of his birth, the NBA player’s father was a member of the US Navy, while his mother worked to support their family too, having a job as an administrator for AT&T. However, Harden Sr. soon succumbed to drugs and had multiple problems, due to which he had to spend quite a bit of time in jail. And so, the NBA player has chosen to cut off from him completely, even taking out the suffix ‘Jr’ from his name.
James Harden spent most of his childhood in the infamous Compton’s Rancho Dominguez area. He has two siblings. A half-sister, and a half-brother, named Arnique Jelks, and Akili Robertson respectively. Prior to his NBA career, James Harden attended Artesia High School, before going on to Arizona State for 2 years.
