There will be a point when Cleveland Cavaliers star James Harden finally decides to cut his iconic beard. However, the question is whether it will happen during the final years of his NBA career or when he goes into retirement.

Harden is gearing up for the 18th season of his NBA career, his second with the Cavaliers. He looks to help Cleveland make its first NBA Finals since 2018, having gotten them to the East Finals last season.

At age 37, Harden is closing in on the final stages of his career. He still plays at a high level as one of the best offensive stars in the game, but his overall efficiency has declined in past seasons.

Harden also continues to put his memorable beard on display. He has kept the beard in its iconic form since he grew it out during his first years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Fast forward to now, the question arises to whether he will trim it down significantly at some point.

Harden finally decided to address his beard situation on Thursday. He revealed that his playing career will continue to have him embracing the big beard. However, once retirement arrives for him, he will make the decision to take it off.

“I'm definitely gonna keep it while I'm playing basketball. Honestly, like once I'm away from the cameras all the time, then I can figure out if I wanna try to cut it and see what that looks like. But now, for sure, until I'm retired, I'm keeping this beard,” Harden said.

“Until I'm retired, I'm keeping this beard."

– James Harden 😅

(via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/7zNdqIgGY9

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2026

What lies ahead for James Harden, Cavaliers this season

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James Harden will go down as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. What matters now is whether he can get one last shot at competing for a championship this season.

Cleveland's preseason schedule came to a close on Oct. 13. They went 1-2 in their three preseason contests, losing to the Boston Celtics on Oct. 8 then beating the Orlando Magic on Oct. 11 before losing to Orlando in the rematch on Oct. 13.

The Cavaliers' regular season will get underway on the road. They take on the Philadelphia 76ers as tip-off commences on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. ET.