HOUSTON – Houston Rockets guard James Harden has been voted as a starter for the Western Conference for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
Harden has been named an All-Star in each of his five seasons with the Rockets.
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Voting consists of fans, players and media this season with the fan vote counting for 50 percent. The players and media count 25 percent each.
He leads the NBA in assists (11.6 apg) and ranks second in scoring (28.9 ppg). He has helped lead the Rockets to the third-best record in the NBA (33-12).
Harden is the NBA leader in double-doubles with 36 and ranks second in triple-doubles with 13.
Harden has been named an All-Star in each of his five seasons as a Rocket. He is tied for the third-most All-Star appearances in franchise history, trailing only Hakeem Olajuwon (12 times) and Yao Ming (8 times).
This season, Harden ranks 2nd in the league in scoring with 28.9 points per game and 1st in assists with 11.6 assists per game.
He is scoring or assisting on 57.2 points per game this season, which would surpass Nate Archibald’s NBA single season record of 56.8 set in 1972-73.
Harden is averaging 28.9 points, 11.6 assists, and 8.3 rebounds this season. Oscar Robertson (3 times) is the only player in NBA history to have averaged at least 28.0 points, 11.0 assists, and 8.0 rebounds in a single season.
Harden also leads the NBA free throws made (400) and attempted (469) this season while ranking 3rd in 3-pointers made (141).
Rockets guard Eric Gordon leads the league with 160 3-pointers made.
In 45 games played this season, Harden already has 13 triple-doubles after having nine for his career entering 2016-17. Four of his triple-doubles this season came while scoring at least 40 points. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Oscar Robertson is the only other player in NBA history to have recorded at least four triple-doubles while scoring 40-plus points in a single season.
The Rockets are currently 33-12 and have the third-best winning percentage in the NBA (.733). The 33 wins ties for the highest total through the first 45 games of a season in franchise history (1993-94). Houston did not pick up its 33rd win until Game No. 66 in 2015-16.
Since joining the Rockets in 2012-13, Harden has scored 801 more points than any other player in the league. He has also made 472 more free throws than any other player has attempted over that span, while ranking 3rd in assists (2,600), 4th in steals (610), and 3rd in 3-pointers made (941).
The Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Star reserves, as selected by NBA head coaches, will be announced on Thursday, Jan. 26.
The other Western Conference starters and Warriors guard Steph Curry, Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard, Pelicans forward Anthony Davis and Warriors forward Kevin Durant.