Report: Clippers' James Harden Made 'High-Six-Figure Donation' to ASU's NIL Collective

Arizona State has never been known as a basketball powerhouse, but one of its most famous alums is doing his part to change that.

According to Alex Schiffer of Front Office Sports, the Sun Devils received "a high-six-figure donation from NBA superstar James Harden to his alma mater’s Sun Angel collective" to fund NIL opportunities for future players.

Harden, who now stars for the Los Angeles Clippers, entered the 2009 NBA draft after his sophomore season at Arizona State in which he led the program to a 25-10 record and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sixteen years after leaving the Sun Devils, he's maintained close ties with his alma mater, as Schiffer noted that he "spends offseasons in Scottsdale, works out at the university, and enjoys being on campus."

However, Harden's commitment to providing monetary contributions for his old school is rare in the NBA.

"Despite how far their money could go in the NIL world, many of Harden’s peers in the NBA aren’t interested. At least not right now," Schiffer stated.

Harden's contributions have already made an impact, as Arizona State landed a commitment last year from class of 2024 five-star power forward Jayden Quaintance, who was previously committed to Kentucky and had offers from Ohio State, Florida and Missouri.

"NIL nowadays is the most important thing, because kids want to be compensated for their play and their work," Harden told Schiffer. "I wanted to be a part of helping the team and the school get players and if NIL is the problem, then I can help with that."