Page 26 - Sports Illustrated Kids (October 2018)

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Know it All

JAMES NIKITA
HARDEN vs. KUCHEROV

Houston Rockets, guard Tampa Bay Lightning, right wing

29 AGE 25

6'5", 220 pounds HEIGHT, WEIGHT 5'11", 178 pounds

Los Angeles, California HOMETOWN Moscow, Russia

The Beard NICKNAME The Russian Rifle

Cookies ’n’ cream FAVORITE ICE CREAM Chocolate

LINGO + SKILLS + STATS Often boxes in the offseason. Harden Installed synthetic ice in his garage
and teammate P.J.Tucker spent time in the summer of 2017 so he could
STRATEGIES + TRIVIA this summer in a boxing gym in TRAINING HABIT work on his shooting technique
Tempe,Arizona. (Harden attended without leaving his home.
Arizona State, which is inTempe.)

“You’ll be so Was sixth in the NBA in field goal Was ninth in the NHL in shots taken

attempts last year. Harden has led last year.
much smarter the NBA in free throw attempts in SHOOTER
each of the past four seasons.
when you read it.”
Despite penchant for firing shots at Despite penchant for firing shots
will, was fourth in the NBA in assists NICE PASS at will, was sixth in the NHL in
—Peter King, Editor-in-chief,
last season (8.8 per game). He led assists last season, with 61.That’s
The MMQB, and Sports the league in 2016–17. the fourth most in franchise history.
Illustrated NFL expert
Was raised by a single mother, Monja Got into hockey after his mother,
Willis. WhenJames was 12, he left her Svetlana, got a job working as a
a note asking for a few dollars. He THANKS, MOM cleaner at an ice rink. She used GREG NELSON (HARDEN); SCOTT AUDETTE/NHLI/GETTY IMAGES (KUCHEROV)
AVAILABLE WHEREVER also wrote, “P.S. Keep this paper. money earned there to buy him a

BOOKS ARE SOLD Imma be a star.” She still has it. pair of secondhand skates.

Kobe Bryant. But growing up, Harden Pavel Datsyuk. Kucherov called
was also a big fan ofJason Kapono, FAVORITE PLAYER his fellow Russian, a former
who starred nearby at UCLA. Detroit Red Wings star, his hero.

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