James Harden is not planning to shave his trademark beard while he remains an NBA player, but the Cleveland Cavaliers guard is open to changing his appearance once his basketball career ends.
“I’m definitely gonna keep it while I’m playing basketball,” Harden said when asked whether he would keep his beard forever. “Honestly, once I’m away from the cameras all the time, then I can figure out if I wanna try to cut it and see what that looks like.”
The 37-year-old made clear that his facial hair will remain part of his look throughout his playing career.
“But for now, for sure, until I retire, I’m keeping this beard,” Harden said.
Harden’s beard has been one of the most recognizable features of his public image throughout his NBA career. Since becoming a full-time starter with the Houston Rockets in 2012-13, he has developed into one of the league’s leading scorers and playmakers while maintaining the distinctive look.
The guard has averaged 24.0 points and 7.3 assists across 1,221 regular-season games in 17 NBA seasons. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2017-18, when he averaged 30.4 points, 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game for Houston.
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Harden reached his scoring peak the following season, averaging 36.1 points per game in 2018-19. He also led the league in assists in 2016-17 and 2022-23, reflecting his evolution from a high-volume scorer into a primary offensive organizer.
Harden joined Cleveland in a February 2026 trade from the Los Angeles Clippers and averaged 20.5 points and 7.7 assists in 26 games with the Cavaliers. He declined his $42.3 million player option for 2026-27 before agreeing to a three-year, $96.5 million contract with Cleveland in September.
The new deal keeps Harden in Cleveland as the Cavaliers look to rebound from a 52-win season that ended with a four-game sweep by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.
