The Beard’s facial hair was cropped short, just a hint of what it – and James Harden – would become, as the 19-year-old buttoned his tan tuxedo jacket and stepped onto the stage at Madison Square Garden.
OKC had just selected Harden No. 3 overall in the 2009 NBA Draft with the relocated franchise’s first pick as the Thunder.
“All of these guys as we go into each draft, the process is the same,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said that night. “We’re trying to find guys that can add to the culture of the basketball team, and they can grow with us, and tonight we feel like we accomplished that.