"Here I am": James Harden returns to Middle School roots, inspires 500 kids with 15-year journey

James Harden's NBA career has been a wild rollercoaster ride. When he goes up, he experiences some of the best highs, but when it goes down, he goes through some really low moments, being targeted by criticism from the media, analysts and fans.

However, The Beard is considered an icon and an inspiration, especially by young people who got to witness some of his best moments in the NBA.

To his credit, Harden has embraced this role, even taking the time to speak with young people. In a reel posted by the LA Clippers on Instagram, he can be seen sharing his own experiences with a group of people.

"My goals and my dreams was to be an NBA player," Harden said. "Sitting in you guys' position that seemed far-fetched... Here I am 15 years later in the NBA and still playing.

"It's a blessing and obviously all glory to God but for you guys whether it's a basketball player, whether it's a teacher, a police officer... Whatever you want to be, you guys gotta have that vision."

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James Harden and the LA Clippers are turning their early season woes around

When James Harden first joined the Clippers, many thought things would not work out, and they would be right to think that. It took a while for them to start winning consistently, and some quickly dismissed their team as a bust.

However, the quartet of Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Russell Westbrook have started to prove the doubters wrong in their recent games. In their last ten outings, the Clippers have only lost one game.

They have also climbed to the fifth spot in the Western Conference with a 17-11 record and are looking more and more dominant with each game that they play. It definitely took some time for them to find their groove, but now that they've found it, it is scary to think of their ceiling.

Currently, they are being led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in scoring, who are averaging 24.4 and 22.8 points per game, respectively. It has also helped that they have remained healthy in the opening part of the season, and fans can only hope that they can remain on the court consistently.

Harden has also been contributing massively to the Clippers' success, with 17.4 points, 7.7 assists and 4.8 rebounds. Westbrook's, Ivica Zubac's and Norman Powell's contributions have also been valuable, and coach Tyronn Lue deserves so much credit for remaining patient and allowing his guys to gel together.