INGLEWOOD, Calif. — James Harden continues to make history and did so on Monday night when he passed the great Shaquille O’Neal for 9th on the all time scoring list.
Harden has 28,614 points and counting.
"Shaquille O'Neal, somebody that I literally grew up watching here in L.A.," Harden said. "Him and Kobe [Bryant] doing their thing, winning multiple championships, 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."
Not only has Harden continued to climb the scoring ranks be he also recently moved up to 12th on the all-time assists list (8,604) and he ranks second in 3-pointers made (3,291), behind Stephen Curry.
One day the star player we call "The Beard" will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts cementing his place as one of the best basketball players to ever live.
Though Harden is playing in his 17th season he continues to play at an All Star-level. He is averaging 25.8 points, 8.0 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 36 games. The former Sun Devil is a key reason why the Clippers are surging at this moment winning 10 of their last 12 games.
Harden has been one of the greatest and most influential players of his era. His impact on and off the court has been highlighted since his entry into the NBA.
The Los Angeles native is an 11x All Star, 8x All-NBA performer, 3x scoring champ, 2x assists champ, 2017-18 MVP, 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year and was voted into the Top 75 Anniversary team.
When it comes to the shooting guard position is he truly one of the greatest ever!
Of course the top two guys are almost cemented at the top of the list when it comes to Michael Jordan and the late great Kobe Bryant. After that it will be hard to name any other above Harden.
Names like Dwyane Wade, Clyde Drexler, the late great Jerry West and Allen Iverson are mentioned when it comes to top shooting guards alongside Jordan, Bryant and Harden.
Some of those guys mentioned above may have a championship(s) but they don’t have the resume of Harden.
He looks to be on a trajectory to continue to compete at a high level for the next two years or possibly more which would help move him up more all time rankings and with that he could add more accolades to his already prestigious career.
Many fans and pundits would argue Wade over Harden mostly due to his three championships but the individual accolades lean towards Harden.
What puts Harden over Wade for me is the longevity. Harden is in his 17th year and still playing at a high level. Wade only lasted 16 years in the NBA and became a role player by year 11.
Harden’s extended greatness places him near the top of greatest players from his era and should now place him only behind Jordan & Bryant as greatest shooting guards of all time.