They call James Harden "The Beard."
It's about as big a part of his identity as any physical feature is for any player in the NBA.
So when Harden is in the news, people wonder: What does this guy look like without a beard?
Like clockwork, that was a curiosity as Harden entered into trade rumors ahead of Thursday's deadline.
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If he's traded away from the Los Angeles Clippers, to the Cleveland Cavaliers or elsewhere, it'll be a big basketball move. It'll also be a big beard move.
It's not the easiest to actually find such pictures, but this is one of Harden without a beard from his much younger days:
James Harden without a beard is a different person pic.twitter.com/yum2Rlvc1V
— Wolves In 6 (@WolvesInVI) March 6, 2025
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Then you've got pictures from Harden's days at Arizona State where the beard was just starting to grow:
These days, Harden's beard is as much a part of him as his left hand.
In a 2016 interview, Harden told The Dream Shake that, "High school was the last time I saw my chin." He added that he only lets his barber trim the beard, and that he doesn't touch it himself.
Harden did say in 2025 that if he could trade his beard for an NBA championship, he would do it.
The Beard knows plenty about being traded, any may be about to learn more about it, too.
The hope for Harden in pushing the Clippers to make a trade is certainly to get the best chance he possibly can at a title. L.A. has won 16 of its last 20, but it still is just in a play-in spot and plays in the brutal Western Conference.
A destination like Cleveland would suit Harden's championship aspirations, but he'd also definitely want to keep the beard. It seems like a great way to keep the face warm as the snow moves in off of Lake Erie for the next couple months.
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