So I was rewatching some old Houston Rockets games the other night because man that MVP season was just insane. And something about James Harden just looked different. Not the step-back threes or the Euro steps, but his hair. It hit me like wait is James Harden actually balding?
The Investigation
First I pulled up like hundreds of pics from 2010 to now. Started with his rookie year – dude had this thick curly afro, hairline straight across his forehead. Then clicked through every season timeline. Around 2017 I started noticing things.
- 2018 photos clearly showing his temple areas going backwards
- 2019 beard size increasing while crown area thinning
- 2021 trades to Brooklyn then Philly – hair density looks visibly weaker
Tried this thing where I overlayed photos in editing software. Put 2012 headshot beside 2023 shots from Sixers press conference. Man the difference slapped you in the face.
The Confession
Last week decided to message my barber cousin who cuts for NBA guys. Didn’t name names at first just asked about athletes dealing with hair loss. He laughed and was like “Bro you asking about James? Every time he comes in now we gotta work around the thinning spots.”
My cousin told me he uses thickening fibers on camera days and adjusts parting lines constantly. Said Harden gets that “halo effect” where sides stay strong while top slowly disappears. Apparently he’s super cool about it though just rocks the hats off-court.
Ended up spending three whole days on this rabbit hole. Now whenever I watch games I catch the lighting tricks – how arenas shine lights to minimize crown shadow. Genius really. Most fans don’t notice because that beard distracts everyone.
Honestly gained mad respect though. Guy’s making $35M a year while clearly dealing with what every regular dude stresses about. Still drops 40 point games with less hair than his MVP season. That’s how you own it.
