10-year NBA veteran James Harden may be a lot of things when it comes to basketball— you know, third top 3-point shooter of all-time, 10x NBA All-Star, USA Basketball Olympic gold medalist, and you can’t forget his signature beard— but the Los Angeles native will soon add another title to his long list of achievements, wine brand owner.

This September, he will release the first two varietals from his new label—J-HARDEN Wines—in collaboration with Jam Shed, a popular global brand within the Accolade Wine portfolio.

Harden, currently a shooting guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, developed a love and passion for wine after being exposed to various varietals in social settings, like dinners and casual card games with friends. So, it was a no-brainer to step into the industry when he was approached by his team. 

Image: courtesy of J-Harden Wine.

“It’s been a long time coming, but I feel like we’ve created something special that the wine business needed,” Harden told EBONY. “For now, we’re focused on pushing out the launch of J-HARDEN, but hopefully in the near future we can come up with some bubbles to expand the brand and make people love it more.”

Harden’s launch varietals include a California Cabernet Sauvignon and California Red Blend, both in his personal top three in addition to pinot, and he leaned heavily on his own love of wine, art and fashion for the taste and bottle creation— which he describes as smooth, full-bodied and jammy with a bottle that’s eye-catching, disruptive and unapologetic.

Image: courtesy of J-Harden Wine.

“The wine space is conservative, and we wanted to stay away from that. We wanted to come, make an impact, and open the doors up. So, here we are.”

And while wine brand owner is a commendable accolade in itself, the pro-baller shares that his main mission with J-HARDEN  is to make a high-quality product that can be enjoyed by the masses at a reasonable price.

“The world needs to be able to experience this wine,” Harden said. “From the taste to the bottle, the J-HARDEN experience is one that is needed. The presentation itself stands out, and the price point is even better. It allows you to grab it, take it home, fall in love with it and come back for more. I feel like we did our job.”

Both launch wines are scheduled to be available for purchase online and through leading retailers across the United States beginning August 26, 2022 for only $16.99.