James Harden's girlfriend Paije Speights draws motivation from Jake Bates' meteoric rise to NFL stardom

James Harden's girlfriend Paije Speights recently drew inspiration from Detroit Lions kicker Jake Bates, who made headlines after transitioning from a brick salesman to an NFL star. On Sunday, Bates nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired, sealing the Lions’ 26-23 victory over his hometown team, the Houston Texans, in Sunday Night Football at NRG Stadium.

After the game, Bates was celebrated as a hero and opened up about almost giving up on his football dream just 18 months earlier.

“I thought I was done with football. I was working as a brick salesman in Houston. I thought that I thought the dream was dead,” he said.

“It also makes me look back and think of how good the Lord's been in my life and the doors he's opened and closed for me to lead me here and to lead me in such a great situation with this coaching staff and this front office and these teammates.”

Paije Speights posted a clip of Bates sharing his story during a postgame interview, expressing how inspired she felt by it.

“Motivation,” she wrote on her Instagram story.

Paije Speights' IG story

Bates has contributed to the Lions' impressive 8-1 season start. The rookie kicker has been flawless, converting 100% of his field-goal attempts (14 out of 14).

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Paije Speights is a fashion entrepreneur

Paije Speights is the founder of the fashion brand Front Paige Designs, which has an Instagram following of 79.3k. In September, the brand marked its first founding anniversary.

Though she has a thriving career, her boyfriend, LA Clippers star James Harden, has continued to support and spoil her with grand gestures, especially on her birthday in September.

Harden attended her birthday celebration in an LA cap, black shirt and black pants, posing with her as she blew out her birthday candles. The former Houston Rockets star also gifted her a Range Rover as a birthday surprise.

Speights frequently shares moments with Harden on her Instagram, showcasing their adventures together.

She is also the mother of a five-year-old boy, Prynce Almario Chalmers, with former Miami Heat star Mario Chalmers. In the past, she dated another former teammate of Harden’s, three-time Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams.