James Harden overtook Shaquille O'Neal to claim the ninth spot on the NBA's all-time scoring chart. This took place during the Los Angeles Clippers' win over the Charlotte Hornets, finishing at 117-109.
Harden sank a 3-pointer early in the second half, reaching 28,598 career points and surpassing O'Neal's 28,596 points. By the end of the game, his total was 28,615 points. He started the game with 28,582 points.
At 33, reaching this milestone took him 1,187 games. O'Neal reached his total in 1,207 games. Harden's professional journey kicked off as a bench player for Oklahoma City.
After the game, Harden reflected on O'Neal's influence, stating, "The most dominant big man in the history of the game. It's a true honor. It's a testament to the work that I put in, and it's all glory to God," shared Harden with Yahoo Sports.
Last December, Harden broke into the top 10 by passing Carmelo Anthony with a free throw against the Orlando Magic. It's noteworthy that Harden is one of two players in the top 10 without an NBA championship, the other being Karl Malone.
Currently, LeBron James is the leader with 42,601 points, still playing. Harden, now ninth, needs almost 3,000 points to catch Wilt Chamberlain, who sits in the eighth position.
Harden's accomplishments include significant scoring from beyond the arc and free throws, tallying over 18,000 points from these areas. This season, he's averaging 25.6 points per game, his best since the 2019-2020 season.
In his 17th season, Harden's averaging 24.1 points per game. His scoring talent emerged even as the second option behind stars like Kevin Durant, now with the Clippers, and Joel Embiid.
The Clippers, despite early struggles, picked up momentum with recent wins. Harden's performance is crucial to their playoff hopes. They hold the 11th spot in the Western Conference with a 15-23 record.
Before Harden's achievement, Kevin Durant recently climbed to seventh place on the list. Chamberlain is eighth, while Moses Malone and Julius Erving would be ranked higher if ABA statistics were included.
Entering the league as the Thunder's third overall pick in 2009, coming from Arizona State, Harden transformed from a sixth-man in Oklahoma City to one of the league's top scorers.
