Sabtu, 14 Januari 2017

cerpen

Lembaran Putih

Judul Cerpen Lembaran Putih
Cerpen Karangan: 
Kategori: Cerpen InspiratifCerpen MotivasiCerpen Pendidikan
Lolos moderasi pada: 16 December 2016
Siang ini saya disambut dengan hamparan debu yang menyiksa penciuman, debu-debu itu seakan membuat saya sesak dengan aroma yang khas. Iya, kini saya telah sampai di sebuah pulau terpencil. Tepatnya di selatan Indonesia, dan saya mendedikasikan diri menjadi seorang guru di tempat ini. Langkah demi langkah saya lalui dengan sambutan anak-anak yang sedang bermain dengan sehelai kain lusuh. Mereka memandang saya seakan melihat sesuatu yang belum mereka lihat, padahal saya hanya memakai pakaian biasa berselimut jaket biru kesayanganku dan sebuah ransel dan koper besar yang saya tarik.
“akhirnya kamu datang juga?” wanita paruh baya itu mengejutkanku saat saya melewati (sebuah) rumahnya. “kamu pasti Rafly?” ucapnya lagi, namun nadanya seakan mengajakku untuk berbicara lebih dalam lagi “iya, saya Rafly? apa anda Ibu Asih?” beliau hanya menjawab “iya, kemarilah kau pasti sangat lelah” akhirnya saya menaiki 5 anak tangga yang menghubungkan ke teras. Saat itu saya sangat lelah, dan saya pun beliau adalah guru di pulau ini, iya.. beliau yang memperjuangkan kemerdekaan yang sederhana disini. Hari mulai larut malam, baterai smartphone saya akan habis tapi tidak ada aliran listrik disini. Saya mengambil sebuah jeruk dan mengisi baterai smartphoneku dengan lempengan kawat yang kulilitkan disana, dan cara itu berhasil.
Pagi menjelang, kini langkahku memasuki daerah sekolah. Dan kulihat ini seperti bukan sekolah, papan tipis yang digunakan mulai rapuh, atap-atap seakan ingin memakan mangsa dan suatu saat bangunan itu akan runtuh. Saya melihat beberapa dari mereka bermain bola. Tak terasa kini saya mulai mengajar di kelas yang mirip seperti sebuah gubuk.
“selamat pagi anak-anak” ucapku seraya meletakkan beberapa berkas di meja. Saya memperkenalkan diri dan mulai mengambil buku dari loker. Namun saya melihat tulisan disana tertera di cetak pada tahun 80an-90an, artinya mereka belum menyentuh KTSP dan K13, buku itu benar-benar rusak, banyak halaman yang hilang dan robek. “kalian belajar dengan buku ini? Lalu dimana buku kurikulum 2013 nya?” ucapanku membuat suasana hening, salah satu anak laki-laki mengangkat tangan kanannya “maaf pak, kami hanya mempunyai buku itu. Kurikulum itu apa pak? Kami belum tau, dan selama kami sekolah di sini hanya ada satu guru itu pun bukunya juga memakai buku yang dipegang bapak” saya merenung, kemudian saya berdiri di tengah “kurikulum adalah suatu materi yang disusun secara apik. Dan kurikulum ini sama seperti buku lainnya hanya saja sistem yang digunakan sedikit berbeda. Maksudnya materi di dalamnya lebih mendalam” kemudian anak laki-laki itu berkata “saya mau mencoba kurikulum, kenapa kami tidak pernah menerima buku baru sementara di kota-kota besar sudah banyak yang menerima” saya merasa lemah mendengar perkataan itu, namun saya tetap menjelaskan materi kurikulum agar mereka dapat merasakan apa itu kurikulum. Hari berganti sore, kini aku telah sampai di rumah Ibu Asih dan aku membuka klinik kecil disana. Saat waktu magrib ada seorang anak kecil yang mengetuk pintu.
“anda pasti pak Rafly, guru baru dari kota itu kan?” gadis itu menunjukan sebuah tulisan di genggamannya “iya saya Rafly, dan kenapa kamu menulis di selembar kertas putih ini?” dia menatap bibirku seakan ia membacanya, kemudian anak kecil itu menulis lagi “saya Qifa, maaf pak saya tuli dan bisu.. tapi saya ingin belajar dengan anda, saya ingin menjadi dokter” belum 3 hari saya disini, tapi air mata saya sangat lancar ketika melihat hal seperti ini. “ayo masuk, saya punya sebuah pudding coklat” dia duduk di sampingku, dia ingin menggapai impiannya tapi buku pun tidak ada. Ia memulai curhatnya betapa ia ingin menjadi dokter dan sekolah. “ibu dan ayahku tidak pernah menemaniku, hanya ada nenek yang selalu di sampingku. Orangtuaku terlalu sibuk sampai mereka tidak menemaniku” ia membicarakan semua penderitaannya.
Hari berganti siang, aku menghungi temanku. Aku ingin ia mengumpulkan buku sebanyak mungkin agar aku dapat membagikannya pada anak-anak disini. Beberapa hari berganti minggu. Saat ini setiap hari sabtu sore saya berkeliling dengan membawa buku dari temanku itu dan menunggangi kuda, terkadang saya terharu melihat saat mereka membaca. 27 tahun usia saya sekarang, dan saat ini ada sebuah olimpiade internasional yang diselenggarakan di Beijing. Dan saya memutuskan untuk memilih Marcus untuk mengikuti tes di Jakarta, karena ia sangat lihai di bidang sains. Dan saya mencoba menghubungi dinas terkait agar ia yakin kepada saya kalau Marcus bisa maju ke internasional. Setiap sore ia datang ke rumah saya sedangkan Qifa membantuku untuk merawat pasien yang sedang sakit, saya sudah memberi pengarahan kepadanya bagaimana menyusun obat dan memeriksa setiap orang, Qifa benar-benar sangat cerdas dalam hal kesehatan. “Qifa” sapaku “ada apa pak Rafly? Qifa salah memberi obat?” tulisan itu terpampang jelas di depanku “kamu jaga klinik dulu, saya mau mengajar Marcus” ia hanya menganggukan kepala dan melukis senyum.
“pak, saya tidak yakin akan lolos” ucapnya (Marcus) pelan “ini kesempatan kamu, kamu buktikan kalau kamu bisa. Kita di sini bertemu dengan berbagai macam masalah” ucapku “tapi pak, saya tidak percaya diri” terangnya “kamu masih muda, kamu pandai di bidang sains. Kesempatan tidak akan datang dua kali Marcus” hanya diam, kini aku mulai menjelaskan beberapa materi untuknya. Hari itu kondisi saya sedikit memburuk “uhuk-uhuk.. uhuk” “pak Rafly kenapa? Apa anda baik-baik saja?” tanya Marcus, mungkin paru-paruku kambuh lagi -dalam hati “tidak, saya baik. Belajarnya sampai di sini dulu, besok kita sambung ya” ia menuruti saya, dan segera pulang begitupun Qifa. Saat ini saya berada di atas tempat tidur dan memikirkan sesuatu “saya harus yakin kalau Marcus bisa, tapi buku-buku ini serasa kurang”
3 bulan setelah itu, Marcus semakin pandai. Ia membuat suatu rumus baru, berbekal buku sumbangan dari teman-teman saya, Marcus sangat bersemangat untuk semua ini. Namun kondisi saya memburuk, tapi semangat saya untuk “memberi tahu” semua orang di dunia ini, kalau anak dari daerah terpencil juga sangat pandai.
Ibu Asih juga demikian, beliau membantu saya dalam banyak hal. Dan beberapa hari yang lalu, saya dan Ibu Asih membuat hidroponik sederhana di sekolah. Meski saya sakit, saya tidak akan menyerah.
Singkat cerita, saya dan Marcus di Jakarta. Saat itu, wajah saya tidak bisa lagi segar dan saya sangat lemas. Dan saya setiap hari harus merogoh kocek cukup dalam untuk menghubungi Ibu Asih, agar beliau dapat memberi kabar pada orangtua Marcus. 1 minggu berlalu, kini pengumuman tes telah di bacakan. Dan Marcus lolos dalam tes dan peraih nilai terbaik. Olimpiade mulai 2 bulan lagi, saya meninggalkan Marcus di asrama karena saya harus kembali mengajar di sekolah.
Singkat cerita, kini telah kembali mengajar di sekolah dan semua siswa menanyakan Marcus, itu membuat saya terasa termotivasi untuk memajukan anak-anak ini. Dengan kondisi saya yang sekarang, saya tetap belajar dan memberi materi, berkeliling untuk menjadi “pembawa buku”, membuka klinik, dan membuka ekstrakurikuler lingkungan hidup. Saya tidak menginginkan bayaran untuk semua ini, saya tidak ingin dipuji banyak pihak, tapi saya ingin memajukan negeri ini.
3 hari sebelum Marcus berangkat ke Beijing, saya sakit dan tidak berdaya. Qifa yang merawat saya sekarang begitu juga Ibu Asih, badan saya sangat panas bahkan untuk berdiri saya mual bahkan muntah. Namun saya tetap mengajar dengan cara mengoreksi tugas dari anak-anak, saya tidak mau karena saya sakit, mereka tidak bisa memahami materi.
“halo? Pak Rafly?” Saya mengangkat telepon dari Marcus “halo, bagaimana kabarmu? Apa kamu sudah siap?” tanyaku “saya siap, saya belajar banyak disini. Saya bertemu dengan guru-guru yang sangat baik seperti Pak Rafly? ” ujarnya dengan nada gembira “uhuk uhuk… semoga kamu sukses disana, saya dan teman-temanmu yang lain akan mendukungmu” suara saya lemas saat itu “bapak sakit?” “tidak, ingat pesan saya Marcus. Kita tidak bisa membuat gedung pencakar langit, tapi kita bisa membuat prestasi yang melebihi ketinggian gedung pencakar langit itu” saya terus asyik mengobrol dengannya. Sampai saat nya, kami melihat Marcus kembali dengan piala dan medali emas, serta senyumnya yang manis. Sekaligus melihat Qifa telah menolong sesamanya yang sedang sakit meski ia hanya membaca gerak bibir. Setiap hari saya hanya memakan 3 sendok nasi dan sebuah jeruk, serta membagikan apa yang saya punya.
Saat Marcus mulai bersekolah kembali, ia merasa sedih. Saya tidak mengajar di sekolah, karena saya telah meninggalkan mereka karena sakit. Saya menghembuskan nafas terakhir saat saya membaca sebuah ayat. Ketika saya sembahyang Tahajjud di rumah Ibu Asih. Namun, kemenangannya membuat teman-temannya tersenyum dan termotivasi. Akhirnya kini mereka adalah anak-anak yang pandai, dan mereka sering mengikuti olimpiade tingat provinsi maupun nasional. Saya berhasil membuat mereka pandai melalui Marcus dan Qifa yang pandai di bidang kesehatan.
“Kita tidak bisa membuat gedung pencakar langit, tapi kita bisa membuat prestasi yang melebihi ketinggian gedung pencakar langit itu”

Jumat, 13 Januari 2017

puisi

Keindahan Alam Indonesia
Saat aku membuka mataku,
ku tak percaya bahwa itu nyata
Aku masih berfikir, bahwa aku masih bermimpi
Tetapi aku sadar bahwa keindahan itu benar-benar ada di depanku
Sungguh indah kepulauan ini
Ribuan pulau-pulau berjajar membentuk gugusan pulau yang indah
Gunung-gunung berbaris dari ujung barat ke ujung timur
Samudra luas membentang dengan air yang biru
dan berisi keindahan di bawahnya
Aku bangga menjadi anak Indonesia
Aku berjanji aku akan menjagamu

photograph

Image result for lirik lagu photograph
Loving can hurt
Loving can hurt sometimes
But it's the only thing that I know
When it gets hard
You know it can get hard sometimes
It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

We keep this love in a photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Hearts are never broken
Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans
Holdin' me closer
'Til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone
Wait for me to come home

Loving can heal
Loving can mend your soul
And it's the only thing that I know (know)
I swear it will get easier
Remember that with every piece of ya
And it's the only thing we take with us when we die

We keep this love in this photograph
We made these memories for ourselves
Where our eyes are never closing
Our hearts were never broken
Times forever frozen still

So you can keep me
Inside the pocket
Of your ripped jeans
Holdin' me closer
'Til our eyes meet
You won't ever be alone

And if you hurt me
That's OK, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go

Wait for me to come home [4x]

Oh you can fit me
Inside the necklace you got when you were 16
Next to your heartbeat
Where I should be
Keep it deep within your soul

And if you hurt me
Well, that's OK, baby, only words bleed
Inside these pages you just hold me
And I won't ever let you go

When I'm away
I will remember how you kissed me
Under the lamppost
Back on 6th street
Hearing you whisper through the phone,
"Wait for me to come home."

cerita lucu




                                               MANFAAT KUDA                                                                
Seorang kapten angkatan darat dipindahtugaskan untuk memimpin pasukan di sebuah gurun. Tiba di lokasi, si kapten mengadakan inspeksi dan mendapati seekor kuda ditambatkan dekat barak prajuritnya.

Dia pun bertanya kepada sersan yang mengepalai barak, "Untuk apa kuda itu di sini?"

Sersan kepala menjawab, "Siap, Pak. Kita kan jauh dari mana-mana, sedangkan kita lelaki normal dengan dorongan seksual yang normal pula. Jadi... eee.. kalau lagi pengen... kita kan punya kuda."

"Saya kira nggak masalah, bagi saya maupun secara moral," kata kapten tersebut.

Setelah sekian bulan berjalan dalam kesepian, si kapten tak dapat lagi menahan dorongan seksualnya. Dia kemudian berteriak kepada sersan kepala, "Bawa kuda itu ke tenda saya."

Sersan mengangkat bahu, kemudian membawa binatang gurun tersebut ke tenda kapten. Beberapa menit kemudian, kapten keluar tenda sambil mengencangkan ikat pinggang celananya, lalu berkata, "Jadi begitu ya, anak buahmu melakukannya."

Sersan kepala menjawab, " Nggak juga sih, Pak. Biasanya mereka menaiki kuda itu untuk pergi ke kota terdekat."

wkwkwk,,,

PRAMUKA

Pramuka merupakan kependekan dari Praja Muda Karana yang berarti kaum muda yang suka berkarya. Di Indonesia sendiri penggunaan istilah “Pramuka” baru resmi digunakan pada tahun 1961. Akan tetapi gerakan pramuka sejatinya telah ada sejak jaman penjajahan belanda dengan nama kepanduan. Taukah anda sejarah pramuka di dunia dan di Indonesia? maka simak asal usul pramuka di bawah ini.
sejarah pramuka

SEJARAH PRAMUKA DI DUNIA


Istilah pramuka hanya digunakan di Indonesia sedangkan di dunia pramuka disebut Scout.  Gerakan yang juga disebut Scouting atau Scout Movement ini bertujuan untuk pengembangan para pemuda secara fisik, mental, dan spiritual.  Sejarah pramuka di dunia sendiri dimulai pada 25 Juli 1907 ketika Lord Robert Baden Powell saat itu sebagai Letnan Jendral tentara Inggris untuk pertama kalinya mengadakan perkemahan pramuka di pulau Brown Sea, Inggris selama 8 hari. Selanjutnya pada tahun 1908 Baden Powel menulis buku tentang prinsip dasar kepramukaan “Scouting for Boys” yang artinya pramuka untuk laki-laki.
Pada tahun 1912 dengan babtuan adik perempuan Baden Powell bernama Agnes maka terbentuklah organisasi pramuka untuk perempuan dengan sebutan “Girls Guides“. Organisasi kepramukaan perempuan ini pun dilanutkan oleh istri Baden Powell.
Selanjutnya di tahun 1916 di dirikanlah kelompok pramuka siaga dengan nama CUB (anak srigala). Pedoman kegiatan yang dilakukan berdasarkan dari sebuah buku yang berjudul  “The Jungle Book” karangan Rudyard Kipling.
Pada tahun 1918 Baden Powell kembali membentuk Rover Scout, yaitu organisasi pramuka bagi mereka yang telah berusia 17 tahun. Selang empat tahun kemudian yaitu tahun 1922 Powel menerbitkan buku menerbitkan buku ”Rovering To Succes” buku ini menggambarkan seorang pemuda yang harus mengayuh sampannya menuju kepantai bahagia.
Jambore Dunia
Di tahun 1920 merupakan tahun yang sangat berpengaruh dalam sejarah pramuka dimana untuk pertama kalinya di adakan Jambore di dunia. Selain itu tahun ini juga dibentuk Dewan Internasional pramuka yang beranggotakan 9 orang biro dan biro pusat di London. Biro pramuka putra dunia memiliki lima kantor wilayah yaitu Costa Rica, Mesir, Filipina, Swiss, dan Nigeria. Sedangkan untuk putri memiliki lima kantor pusat sekretariat di London dan biro kantor wilayah di Amerika Latin, Arab, Asia Pasifik, dan Eropa.
Jambore Dunia ke-I di laksanakan di Olympia Hall, London. Dalam kegiatan tersebut diundang pula peserta dari 27 Negara dan pada saat itu Baden Powell  diangkat sebagai Bapak Pandu Sedunia (Chief Scout of The World ).

JAMES HARDEN

James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden played college basketball for Arizona State, where he was named a consensus All-American and Pac-10 Player of the Year in 2009. Harden was selected with the third overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder.[1] In 2012, he was named NBA Sixth Man of the Year with the Thunder and helped the team reach the NBA Finals.
Harden was traded to Houston prior to the 2012–13 NBA season. Upon joining the Rockets, Harden became one of the NBA's most prolific scorers and earned recognition as the best shooting guard in the NBA,[2][3] as well as one of the top overall players in the league.[4] He has earned All-Star nods four times, and has earned All-NBA Team honors three times as well – once to the All-NBA third team (2013) and twice to the All-NBA first team (2014 and 2015). In 2015, Harden was awarded the first National Basketball Players Association MVP Award, being voted by his peers as the league's most valuable player.[5]
Harden is a two-time member of the United States national basketball team, winning gold medals in both the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 FIBA World Cup.

High school career

Harden attended Artesia High School in Lakewood, California. In his sophomore year, he averaged 13.2 points as Artesia went 28–5. He improved his stats to 18.8 points, 7.7 boards and 3.5 assists in his junior season and led Artesia to the California state title and a 33–1 record. Artesia repeated as state champions in Harden's final year after going 33–2. Harden had similar stats as during the previous season: 18.8 points, 7.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists. He was named a McDonald's All-American, and also earned second-team Parade All-American honors.
He also helped his AAU team, Pump-N-Run Elite, to the 2006 Las Vegas Adidas Super 64 championship.[6] Harden had 34 points in the victory over a DC Assault team which included Michael BeasleyNolan Smith and Austin Freeman. In the game against Houston Hoops, played on the same day, Harden had 33 points. In the final, Pump-N-Run Elite beat Kevin Love's Southern California All-Stars.

College career

Left: Harden makes contact with Alfred Aboya inside; Right: Harden contesting a jump shot on defense
Arizona State was picked to finish 9th in the Pac-10 Conference.[7] Due to the help of Harden's average of 17.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists, the Sun Devils went 21–13 (9–9) and finished tied for 5th in the Pac-10. They were considered a bubble team for the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Left out of the NCAA tournament, they were selected to the 2008 NIT field and defeated Alabama State and Southern Illinois before falling to defending national champion Florida.
After his freshman year, Harden was named first team All-Pac-10 and was named to the conference all-freshman team.[8] Harden was also named first team All-District by the NABC and the USBWA.
Entering his sophomore year, Harden appeared on many pre-season All-American lists and appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated college basketball preview issue. He was named to the Wooden Award preseason watch list.[9] On November 30, 2008, Harden scored a career-high 40 points in an 88–58 victory over UTEP.[10]
Harden finished his sophomore campaign with averages of 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He was named to the 2009 All-Pac 10 Tournament Team following Arizona State's defeat by USC at the Staples Center.[11] Following the conference season, Harden was named the Pacific-10 Conference's Player of the Year.[12] He was also named a consensus All-American. After the conclusion of the season (a second-round NCAA tournament loss to Syracuse), Harden declared for the 2009 NBA draft.[13] He employed Rob Pelinka as his agent.[14]

College statistics

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2007–08Arizona State343334.1.527.407.7545.33.22.1.617.8
2008–09Arizona State353535.8.489.356.7565.64.21.7.320.1

NBA career

Oklahoma City Thunder (2009–2012)

Harden with the Thunder in 2011
Harden was drafted 3rd overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder. This made him the first player to be drafted by the franchise as the Oklahoma City Thunder. The franchise last entered the 2008 NBA draft as the Seattle SuperSonics. In his first NBA season, Harden averaged 9.9 points in 22.9 minutes per game. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In his second year, he played all 82 games of the regular season, averaging 12.2 points per game. In the playoffs, he averaged 13 points per game, shooting over 47% from the field.
On April 18, 2012, Harden scored a then career-high 40 points in a 109–97 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Four days later against the Los Angeles Lakers, Harden suffered a concussion after being elbowed by the Lakers' Metta World Peace, who was celebrating a dunk. World Peace was ejected, and was later suspended for seven games by the league.[15][16] Harden returned for the first game of the playoffs against the Dallas Mavericks.[17]
Harden ended the 2011–12 season averaging 16.8 points per game off the bench which led all NBA reserves.[18] He was then named the NBA Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the second youngest player ever to win the award. He was one of the most efficient scorers in the league, finishing second in both true shooting percentage and effective field goal percentage, posting a .660 TS% and .582 eFG%. Harden helped the Thunder reach the 2012 NBA Finals where they lost to the Miami Heat. During the free agency period, Oklahoma City attempted to sign Harden to a four-year contract extension worth between $52 and $55 million.[19][20]

Houston Rockets (2012–present)

2012–13 season

James Harden (left) and Kevin Durant during the 2013 NBA playoffs.
After failing to agree on a contract extension with the Thunder, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets, along with Daequan CookCole Aldrich, and Lazar Hayward, for Kevin MartinJeremy Lamb, two first round picks and a second round pick.[20] Rockets general manager Daryl Morey called Harden a "foundational" player and expected him to be Houston's featured player despite previously only playing a supporting role behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.[21] On October 31, he signed a contract extension with the Houston Rockets for five years worth $80 million.[22] In the Rockets 2012–13 season opener, Harden had 37 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals. His 37 points tied for the second most for an NBA player in his debut with a new team, and was the first player with at least 37 points and 12 assists in his debut. On November 2, 2012, he scored a then career-high 45 points in a win against the Atlanta Hawks. Following the first week of the season, Harden was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the first time.[23]
On December 27, 2012, Harden scored 30 points, including 17 in the 4th quarter and 15 of the final 17 points for the Rockets, to lead a comeback victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[24] Harden was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the second time for games played between December 30 and January 6 after averaging 29.3 points, 5.5 assists, and leading the Rockets to a perfect 4–0 week.[25] On January 10, 2013, during a loss to the New Orleans Hornets, Harden scored 25 points for the 14th consecutive game, breaking the Rockets' franchise record previously held by Hall of Famer Moses Malone.[26] Harden was subsequently selected to his first All-Star game in 2013 as a reserve for the Western Conference, where he teamed up with former teammates Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. He went on to score 15 points in the game.
On February 2, 2013, Harden recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a win over the Charlotte Bobcats.[27][28] On February 20, 2013, Harden scored a career-high 46 points in Houston's 122–119 win over his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.[29]
Harden finished his first season with the Rockets with career-highs in many statistical categories after he averaged 25.9 points, 5.8 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He led the Rockets to a 45–37 record overall and the team made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2008–09 as the #8 seed. In the 2013 NBA Playoffs, the Rockets were pitted against the #1 seed in the west, the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Game 5, he scored 31 points while going 7-of-9 from three-point range despite playing with flu-like symptoms. The Rockets went on to lose the series in six games. Harden averaged 26.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 2 steals in the series. On May 23, 2013, Harden was named to the All-NBA Third Team for the first time.

2013–14 season

With the Rockets' signing of center Dwight Howard in the offseason, Harden was able to team-up with another All-Star to bring the Rockets back into contention. After earning his second All-Star selection as a reserve for the Western Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star Game held on February 16, Harden went on to score a season-high 43 points on 11-of-20 shooting in a 129–103 win over the Sacramento Kings on February 25.[30] The Rockets finished the 2013–14 season with a 54–28 record, earning the 4th seed in the Western Conference playoffs. In the Rockets' first round loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Harden averaged 26.8 points, 5.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game.[31]On June 4, he was named to the 2014 All-NBA first team.[32]

2014–15 season

On December 13, 2014, Harden recorded his third career triple-double with 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds in a 108–96 win over the Denver Nuggets.[33] Nine days later, he scored a then season-high 44 points in a 110–95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers[34] as he continued to stake his claim as an early contender for the 2014–15 MVP award heading into Christmas.[35] On December 31, he recorded a career-high 8 made three-pointers as he scored 36 points to help lead the Rockets to a 102–83 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.[36]
On February 8, 2015, Harden tied a season-high 45 points in a 98–109 loss to Portland.[37] Two days later, he recorded his second straight 40-point game, and his sixth of the year, as he led the Rockets to a 127–118 win over the Phoenix Suns.[38] On February 23, he recorded his second triple-double of the season with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the 113–102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.[39]
On March 2, 2015, the NBA suspended Harden for one game for kicking LeBron James in the groin during a 105–103 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.[40] On March 6, Harden recorded 38 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his third triple-double of the season as the Rockets snapped a two-game skid with a 103–93 win over the Detroit Pistons.[41]After recording a career-high 50 points against the Denver Nuggets on March 19,[42] Harden topped that mark with 51 points against the Sacramento Kings on April 1, making it his 33rd 30-point game and his ninth 40-point game for the season. He also became the first player in Rockets' franchise history to have two 50-point games in a season.[43] On April 5, he recorded his 10th 40-plus-point game of the season, finishing the game with 41 points despite fouling out with 33 seconds left against the Oklahoma City Thunder.[44]In the Rockets' regular season finale on April 15 against the Utah Jazz, Harden recorded his fourth triple-double of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as he helped the Rockets win their first division title since 1994 while clinching the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.[45] Harden was again named to the All-NBA first team,[46] and finished second in the MVP voting behind Stephen Curry.[47]
On May 12, 2015, Harden recorded his first career playoff triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a Game 5 semi-final series win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[48] On May 25, Harden scored a playoff career-high 45 points against the Golden State Warriors, helping his team avoid elimination in the Western Conference Finals.[49] On May 27, the Rockets were eliminated from the Western Conference Finals with a 90-104 loss. In the loss, Harden set a new NBA record for most turnovers in a playoff game with 12.[50]
On July 19, 2015, Harden was named the inaugural National Basketball Players Association's MVP for the 2014–15 season.[51]

2015–16 season

On November 6, 2015, Harden broke out of an early-season shooting slump, shooting 13-of-23 from the field to finish with season-highs of 43 points and 13 assists in a 116–110 win over the Sacramento Kings.[52] He topped his season-high scoring mark with 46 points the following night, making 13-of-14 free throws and was 5-of-10 from three-point range, helping the Rockets extend their winning streak to four by defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 109–105.[53] On November 9, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played from Monday, November 2 through Sunday, November 8. His ninth career Player of the Week award came after averaging 38.5 points and helping the Rockets go 4–0 for the week.[54] To begin the season, the Rockets lost their first three games, before winning four straight, then going on another three-game losing streak to end up 4–6 after 10 games. All three runs were reflective in the shooting accuracy of Harden. Over the first three losses, he shot 12-of-54 from the field (22%); over the four-game winning streak, he shot 45-of-97 (46%); and then over the succeeding three-game losing streak, he shot 22-of-62 (35%).[55]
On November 18, head coach Kevin McHale was fired after the Rockets began the season with a 4–7 record. Later that night, Harden recorded 45 points and 11 assists in a 108–103 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[56] On November 25, he recorded his fourth 40-point game of the season in a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, dropping to 5–10 overall and 1–3 under interim coach J. B. Bickerstaff.[57] Two days later, he recorded his third career 50-point game in a 116–114 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.[58] On January 13, in his 492nd game, he scored 27 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves to reach 10,000 career points.[59] On January 20, he recorded his first triple-double of the season and seventh of his career with 33 points, a career-high 17 rebounds and 14 assists in a 123–114 loss to the Detroit Pistons. He became the first player to have those numbers in a game since Wilt Chamberlain had 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists on March 18, 1968.[60] Four days later, he recorded second triple-double of the season with 23 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a 115–104 win over the Dallas Mavericks.[61] On February 2, he scored 26 points and tied a career-high with 14 assists as the Rockets snapped a three-game skid with a 115–102 win over the Miami Heat.[62] On March 22, he recorded 24 points, a career-high 16 assists and seven rebounds in a 111–107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.[63] Three days later, he recorded his third triple-double of the season with 32 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in a 112–109 win over the Toronto Raptors.[64] In March 2015, Harden recorded 457 points, 152 assists and 102 rebounds, becoming the first player to record at least 450 points, 150 assists and 100 rebounds in a single month since Oscar Robertson did so December 1967.[65] On April 7, he tied a 38-year-old record for most turnovers in a season by committing his 366th turnover against the Phoenix Suns.[66] He surpassed that record three days later against the Los Angeles Lakers.[67] The Rockets scrapped into the postseason with a 41–41 record and an eighth-seeded finish. Harden completed the regular season with career high marks in points (29), assists (7.5) and rebounds (6.1) to join LeBron JamesMichael Jordan and Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to average at least 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a season.[68]
Down 2–0 to the first-seeded Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs, Harden scored 35 points in Game 3 in Houston, including the game-winner with 2.7 seconds left to lift the Rockets to a 97–96 win.[69] The Rockets went on to lose the series in five games despite Harden's best efforts with 35 points in a Game 5 blowout loss.[70]

2016–17 season

On July 9, 2016, Harden signed a four-year, $118.1 million contract extension with the Rockets.[71][72] In September 2016, new Rockets head coach Mike D'Antoni announced that Harden would take on the point guard role early on in the 2016–17 season.[73][74] In the Rockets' season opener on October 26, Harden recorded 34 points and a career-high 17 assists in a 120–114 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers,[75] becoming just the second player in NBA history to record at least 30 points and 15 assists in an opener; Tim Hardaway had 32 and 18 for the Golden State Warriors in 1990.[76] On November 7, he had his fourth straight 30-10 game with 32 points and 15 assists in a 114–106 win over the Washington Wizards.[77] On November 14, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, November 7 through Sunday, November 13. During the week, he recorded two triple-doubles.[78] On December 14, he recorded 15 points, 14 assists and 11 rebounds in just three quarters to lead the Rockets to a 132–98 win over the Sacramento Kings. It was Harden's fifth triple-double of the season and the 14th of his career, tying him with Hakeem Olajuwon for most in franchise history.[79] He set the franchise record two days later with his sixth triple-double of the season and 15th of his career. In the Rockets' 122–110 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, Harden helped the team set an NBA-record with 24 three-pointers, as he finished with 29 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.[80] On December 19, he was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, December 12 through Sunday, December 18.[81] On December 23, he tied a career high with 17 assists in a 115–109 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.[82] On December 30, he recorded his seventh triple-double of the season with 30 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in a 140–116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[83]
On December 31, 2016, Harden recorded yet another triple-double with 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds in a 129–122 win over the New York Knicks, becoming the first player in NBA history to finish with a 50-15-15 stat line.[84] He tied Wilt Chamberlain for the most points in a triple-double in NBA history—Chamberlain pulled the feat during the 1967–68 season, with 53 points, 32 rebounds and 14 assists. Harden set career highs for points and three-pointers (with nine) and matched his career best for assists. It was his 17th career triple-double and his fourth career 50-point game.[85] Two days later, he recorded his ninth triple-double of the season in a win over the Washington Wizards[86] and was named Western Conference Player of the Week for a third time.[87] It was Harden's 12th Player of the Week honor, matching Hakeem Olajuwon for the most Player of the Week awards in franchise history.[86] Harden's career-best December run earned him Western Conference Player of the Month honors.[88] His 10th and 11th triple-doubles came in back-to-back games on January 8 and January 10, both resulting in wins.[89][90] His two performances saw him become the fourth player in NBA history with at least 40 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in consecutive games—Pete MaravichMichael Jordan and Russell Westbrook are the three others to do it.[90]

Player profile

Standing at 6 feet 5 inches tall (1.96 m) and weighing 220 pounds (100 kg), Harden plays mostly at the shooting guard position. With season averages of over 26 points per game since the 2012–13 season, Harden is considered one of the most versatile and dangerous scorers in the NBA.[91] He possesses a wide array of offensive moves; two of the most prominent among them being his Euro step[92] and his step-back jumper.[93] He has also gained notoriety for his ability to exploit league rules in order to more efficiently draw fouls and get to the free throw line, from which he is a career 84.9% shooter.[94][95] Though primarily a scorer, he is also known for his playmaking ability, orchestrating the Rockets' offense[96] with his elevated assist numbers. As of the 2014–15 season, he leads the league in assists that lead to three-point shots.[92][97]
While he has garnered acclaim for his prowess on the offensive end, Harden has built a reputation as a poor defender. Criticism of his defense intensified in early 2014, when a video titled "James Harden: Defensive Juggernaut" featuring eleven minutes worth of clips of Harden conceding field goals, was circulated on the Internet.[98] During the 2014 offseason, he committed to an improvement on defense, which manifested as early as August of that year as a member of the United States men's national basketball team.[99]His improved defense carried over to the following season, and has been cited as a major reason for the Rockets' regular season success.[100]

National team career

Harden with Team USA at the 2014 World Basketball Festival
Harden was a member of the United States national team that won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics, and was also a member of the team that won the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2014. Harden was a candidate for the 2016 Olympics, but he withdrew from the team.

NBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GS Games started MPG Minutes per game
 FG% Field goal percentage 3P% 3-point field goal percentage FT% Free throw percentage
 RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game
 BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Bold Career high
Led the league

Regular season

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2009–10Oklahoma City76022.9.403.375.8083.21.81.1.39.9
2010–11Oklahoma City82526.7.436.349.8433.12.11.1.312.2
2011–12Oklahoma City62231.4.491.390.8464.13.71.0.216.8
2012–13Houston787838.3.438.368.8514.95.81.8.525.9
2013–14Houston737338.0.456.366.8664.76.11.6.425.4
2014–15Houston818136.8.440.375.8685.77.01.9.727.4
2015–16Houston828238.1.439.359.8606.17.51.7.629.0
Career53432133.2.443.368.8554.64.91.5.421.1
All-Star4224.3.560.500.0004.84.8.8.018.8

Playoffs

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2010Oklahoma City6020.0.387.375.8422.51.81.0.27.7
2011Oklahoma City17031.6.475.303.8255.43.61.2.813.0
2012Oklahoma City20031.5.435.410.8575.13.41.6.116.3
2013Houston6640.5.391.341.8036.74.52.01.026.3
2014Houston6643.8.376.296.9004.75.82.0.226.8
2015Houston171737.4.439.383.9165.77.51.6.427.2
2016Houston5538.6.410.310.8445.27.62.4.226.6
Career773434.1.425.350.8675.24.81.6.419.6

Personal life

Harden is a Christian.[101][102] Harden has talked about his faith saying, "I just want to thank God for everything he has done in my life."[103]
Harden started growing his trademark beard in 2009 after being too lazy to shave.[104] His beard has appeared in songs and on T-shirts.[105][106] The James Harden Illustrated project, by designer Filip Peraić, is about illustrating the bearded profile of James Harden in a variety of styles and techniques.[107]
On August 3, 2015, the sports apparel company, Adidas, submitted an endorsement deal to Harden worth $200 million over the next 13 years.[108]