If you’re sitting there wondering when was James Harden drafted, the answer is 2009. Specifically, June 25, 2009. He was the third overall pick. But honestly, just giving you the year feels like a massive disservice to how weird and pivotal that night actually was for the NBA.
The league looked totally different back then. The Lakers had just beaten the Magic in the Finals. People were still debating if Kobe or LeBron owned the throne. And here comes this kid from Arizona State with a modest beard—nothing like the wizard-length facial hair he sports now—stepping onto the stage at Madison Square Garden.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took him. It was a pick that basically signaled the birth of a dynasty that, somehow, never actually became a dynasty.
The 2009 NBA Draft: A Chaotic Night in NYC
When James Harden was drafted, the draft board was a mess of "what-ifs." Blake Griffin was the consensus number one. No brainer. The Clippers took him, and even though he missed his first year with an injury, he lived up to the hype. Then you had Hasheem Thabeet go second to Memphis.
Yeah. Thabeet before Harden.
Memphis fans probably still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about that one. Thabeet was 7'3" and looked like a defensive anchor, but he never figured out the speed of the pro game. Meanwhile, Sam Presti and the Thunder front office were looking at this lefty guard who could pass, shoot, and draw fouls like it was an art form.
Why the Thunder Chose Harden
It wasn't a "sexy" pick at the time. Most scouts liked Harden, but some worried about his athleticism. Was he fast enough? Could he defend elite wings?
The Thunder already had Kevin Durant. They already had Russell Westbrook. Adding Harden was about finding a connector. They wanted a guy who could handle the rock and let Westbrook play off-ball or lead the second unit. In hindsight, it was a stroke of genius. Harden wasn't just a player; he was an efficiency machine before "analytics" became a buzzword every commentator used three times a minute.
Life Before the Beard: The Arizona State Years
You can't talk about when James Harden was drafted without looking at why he was a top-three lock. At Arizona State, he was a revelation. He stayed for two years, which is almost unheard of for top-three picks nowadays who usually bolt after five minutes on campus.
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In his sophomore year, he averaged 20.1 points and 4.2 assists. He was the Pac-10 Player of the Year. He took a Sun Devils program that was basically irrelevant and made them a tough out in the tournament.
He played with a certain rhythm. Slow-fast-slow. He’d lull you to sleep at the top of the key, then boom—euro-step. He was already doing the things that make modern defenders want to retire early. He didn't need to jump over the backboard because he was smarter than you.
The Infamous Sixth Man Era
After the 2009 draft, Harden didn't immediately become "The Beard." He was the third wheel. But what a third wheel he was.
By 2012, he won Sixth Man of the Year. He was essential to that Thunder team that made the Finals. I remember watching him against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals—he was hitting step-back threes before the league had even decided if those were "good" shots.
Then came the trade.
If you want to talk about the most debated move in NBA history, it’s the Thunder sending Harden to Houston because they didn't want to pay a few extra million on the luxury tax. They chose Serge Ibaka and financial flexibility over a future MVP.
The Statistical Explosion in Houston
Once he got to Houston, the "when was James Harden drafted" question became a footnote to "how is James Harden scoring 50 points tonight?"
Daryl Morey, the Rockets' GM at the time, saw the data. He saw that Harden was the most efficient pick-and-roll player in the world. He turned Harden loose. No more coming off the bench. No more deferring to Russ or KD.
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He became a volume shooter the likes of which we hadn't seen since Kobe or MJ.
- 2018 MVP.
- Three-time Scoring Champion.
- Six-time All-NBA First Team.
He went from being a promising draftee in 2009 to a guy who literally forced the NBA to change how they officiate the game because his "rip-through" move and foul-drawing were breaking the system.
Who Else Was in That 2009 Class?
To really understand the context of Harden's draft year, you have to look at his peers. It was a strangely top-heavy but legendary class.
- Blake Griffin: The high-flyer who eventually became a point-forward.
- Hasheem Thabeet: The aforementioned bust.
- James Harden: The eventual scoring king.
- Tyreke Evans: Won Rookie of the Year, then hovered around journeyman status.
- Ricky Rubio: The Spanish prodigy who didn't come over for two years.
- Jonny Flynn: Took by the Wolves right before...
- Stephen Curry: Yeah. The Warriors got Steph at 7.
Think about that. The 2009 draft produced James Harden AND Stephen Curry. Two players who arguably changed the geometry of the basketball court more than anyone in the last thirty years. If you weren't watching the NBA in 2009, it’s hard to describe how much more "congested" the game felt. Harden and Curry are the reason why nobody stands inside the three-point line anymore.
The Misconceptions About Harden's Draft Profile
People think Harden was always this ball-dominant iso-heavy player.
Honestly? Not really.
In the 2009 draft reports, he was praised for his unselfishness. Analysts thought he’d be a secondary playmaker who made the "right" pass every time. They weren't wrong—he led the league in assists later in his career—but they definitely didn't see him becoming a guy who would take 25 shots a game.
There was also a weird concern about his weight. Some scouts called him "pudgy." It’s funny looking back at those old clips. He was just a strong kid who knew how to use his shoulders to create space. That "pudginess" turned into the strength that allowed him to post up centers and never get pushed off his spot on drives.
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The Impact of the 2009 Draft on Today's Game
When James Harden was drafted, the "analytics revolution" was just a whisper in the backrooms of front offices. Harden became the poster child for it.
He stopped shooting mid-range jumpers. Why take a 15-footer when you can take a layup or a three? That philosophy, birthed from his time in Houston but rooted in his efficiency metrics from Arizona State, has trickled down to every high school and middle school gym in the country.
If you see a kid doing a double-step-back today, thank the 2009 draft. If you see a game where teams combine for 80 three-pointers, that's the 2009 draft's legacy.
Where He Stands Now
Harden is in the "twilight" of his career now, moving from the Nets to the Sixers to the Clippers. He’s a different player—more of a traditional floor general. But the DNA of that 2009 draftee is still there. The high IQ. The ability to see a play three seconds before it happens.
He’s one of the few players from that draft still playing at a high level. Griffin is effectively retired. Thabeet has been out of the league for a decade. Rubio has moved on. It’s basically just Harden, Steph, and DeMar DeRozan (pick 9) holding it down for the class of '09.
What You Should Do Next
If you're a fan of the game or a collector, there are a few things worth doing to appreciate this era of basketball history before it's gone.
First, go back and watch Harden's highlights from the 2012 Western Conference Finals against the Spurs. It’s the purest version of his game—total efficiency, zero ego, just a young star figuring out he’s better than everyone else on the floor.
Second, check out the 2009 draft "Redraft" boards on sites like Basketball-Reference or ESPN. It's wild to see where guys would go now. Usually, it's a toss-up between Steph and Harden for the number one spot, with Blake Griffin sliding to third.
Lastly, keep an eye on his climb up the all-time scoring and assists lists. Regardless of how you feel about his playstyle or his trade requests, the guy who was drafted third overall in 2009 has put up numbers that only a handful of humans have ever touched.
The 2009 draft wasn't just the night James Harden entered the league. It was the night the NBA started its journey toward the three-point-heavy, positionless, high-scoring era we see today. Harden didn't just join the league; he rebuilt it in his own image.