When James Harden took to the court at PHX Arena to face the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, the Arizona State hoops legend was rocking the same shades of maroon and gold that he did 16 years earlier in the Valley.
The guard debuted the Harden Vol. 9 “Sun Devils” colorway, as he tallied 21 points, 15 assists and six rebounds in a 119-117 loss.
Saluting the foundation and paying tribute to where it all began 🌵
The Harden Volume 9 “Sun Devils” honors @jharden13’s alma mater 🔱 pic.twitter.com/704hrjeR14
— adidas Basketball (@adidasHoops) March 5, 2025
The debut came just days after Harden revealed he made a six-figure donation for ASU NIL efforts. He’s actively involved with the basketball program, as well, and he routinely brings shoes for the Sun Devils at the start of each year.
“James is an incredible Sun Devil,” athletic director Graham Rossini told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo on Wednesday. “And he does a lot behind the scenes that maybe doesn’t get the fanfare or the credit that it should, but you know, James has been very visible around our program.
“He’s got great relationships with a lot of the players in our program. He’s obviously one of the best players to ever to wear the maroon and gold, and still doing his thing with the Clippers in the NBA. … He wore the ASU edition in an NBA game, which is awesome.”
“He’s built a new house in the Valley, he’s going to be around a bunch this summer,” Rossini continued. “He’s got a great relationship with (coach Bobby Hurley). … Having our legends in the building matters, and there’s just the transfer of knowledge that can happen when he’s playing the game at the highest level. We’ve got a lot of really exciting talent on our team that’s going to continue to get better, and them having access to James and learning from his experience is a huge positive.”
It’s not known whether the “Sun Devils” colorway will eventually be made available to the public, but other options for the Vol. 9 are available now through adidas and other retailers.