James Harden: the Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Premier Shooting Guards

Book excerpt: Learn the Incredible Story of Basketball Superstar James Harden!Read on your PC, Mac, smartphone, tablet or Kindle device!In James Harden: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Premier Shooting Guards, you'll read about the inspirational story of one of basketball's premier shooting guards James Harden. James Harden has been making a splash playing in the National Basketball Association for the Houston Rockets. In this short book, we will learn about how James became the star shooting guard that he is today. Starting first with a look into his childhood and early life, we'll learn about James Harden prior to entering the NBA, along with his time in the NBA as a sixth man for the Oklahoma City Thunder behind Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant to his time leading the Houston Rockets.James Harden has revitalized and ignited a fire in Houston, leading the Rockets alongside Dwight Howard into the 2013-214 NBA Playoffs. It will be exhilarating to see how James and the Rockets do in this year's NBA playoffs.Here is a preview of what is inside this book: Early Life and Childhood High School Years of James Harden College Years at Arizona State James Harden: Draft Bust? Harden's NBA Career Fear the Beard and Unique Fashion Style Impact on Basketball and Beyond James Harden's Legacy An excerpt from the book:On April 4, 2014, the Houston Rockets were in trouble.With the arrival of superstar center Dwight Howard, the Rockets were looking to win a championship for the first time in 20 years. Yet while the 2013-14 NBA season had gone smoothly for the Rockets, a potential catastrophe loomed on the horizon. They had just lost three straight games for the first time all season. Dwight Howard was not playing due to ankle issues. And if that was not bad enough, the Oklahoma City Thunder, led by probable MVP Kevin Durant, were in town. The Thunder had defeated the Rockets in all three of their earlier games, blowing them out by 31 points in the first contest. Houston faced the very real possibility of losing the first-round home court advantage that they fought so hard all season to earn.But James Harden would have none of it. He knew how important it was for the Rockets to break the three game losing streak, and he also knew that Houston would clinch a playoff spot with a win. So he got to work immediately. On the first possession, he passed the ball so Terrence Jones could hit a wide-open jump shot. On the second possession, he drove the ball in for a layup. Whenever Houston needed points, Harden was there hitting 3-point shots, drilling free throws, and charging to the basket. His former teammate Kevin Durant finished with 28 points for the night, his 40th straight 25-point game - but it was James Harden, with 39 points, who led Houston to the huge 111-107 win. As the seconds ticked off the clock, he hugged his teammates, and then went over to acknowledge another former Thunder teammate, Serge Ibaka, before walking off the court. The Rockets had just clinched the playoffs, and Harden had shown another example of how he is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA today.