LA Clippers star James Harden crossed another monumental threshold in his illustrious career on Saturday night, stepping into the NBA’s all-time top 10 scoring list and overtaking Carmelo Anthony. The achievement came during the Clippers’ narrow 109-106 defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Harden’s individual milestone stood tall above the night’s result.
The 36-year-old guard needed 21 points to surpass Anthony’s 28,289 career total. Harden nearly cleared that mark by halftime, erupting for 19 points before officially moving into the top 10 with two free throws at the 4:23 mark of the third quarter. He finished with 34 points, moving his tally to 28,303.
A Climb Marked by Reinvention and Relentless Scoring Craft
As Harden settled into yet another historic club, he openly marvelled at the journey.
“You look at that list, it’s like there’s no way,” Harden reflected. “There’s no way I got an opportunity to be a part of this list. It’s literally like a dream come true.”
The company he keeps now is staggering — LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain, Kevin Durant, and Shaquille O’Neal. With his next targets being O’Neal (28,596) and long-time former teammate Durant (31,051), Harden stands within striking distance of ninth all time.
Remarkably, Harden is one of only three guards to break into the top 10, joining Bryant and Jordan. Where the other two soared through the air and dazzled with athleticism, Harden carved his path through angles, deception, and impeccable timing.
“They were flying,” Harden said of Bryant and Jordan. “I’ve been playing everything on the ground. That’s why I’m proud of myself — I had to figure out how to maneuver around people.”
His signature step-back jumper, once labelled a “travel,” has now become one of basketball’s most influential innovations. Since GeniusIQ began tracking in 2013-14, Harden has hit nearly 2,000 step-back jumpers and scored over 5,100 points from them — more than 1,000 ahead of the next-best player.
“Now literally everybody’s doing it,” Harden said. “Even the kids. It’s something I can be proud of. I’m not saying I created it, but I definitely took it to another level.”
Longevity, Legacy, and the Trade That Changed Everything For James Harden
Harden’s sustained excellence at age 36 has impressed even his teammates. Kawhi Leonard acknowledged the relentless work behind Harden’s consistency.
“He’s still doing stuff that faces of the league are doing,” Leonard said. “He’s 36. The production is still there. You can see how much he cares and how much work he puts in.”
Harden, meanwhile, often wonders how different his journey might have looked had he remained in Oklahoma City. Drafted as a sixth man behind Durant and Russell Westbrook, Harden’s superstar leap came only after his 2012 trade to Houston.
“Life-changing,” he said simply. “I probably wouldn’t have been able to be who I am. I possibly could’ve been a champion — who knows? But I’m grateful.”
During eight-plus seasons in Houston, Harden averaged 29.6 points, won three straight scoring titles, collected an MVP award, and cultivated an entire basketball identity — from his step-back artistry to 10 signature shoe lines.
And he is not close to finished.
Asked whether he still experiences moments where he feels unstoppable, Harden smiled: “I feel like that still.”
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The Road Ahead for a Legend Who Keeps Evolving
With Harden averaging 26.8 points this season, his climb may not be slowing anytime soon. Whether he can scale further past O’Neal or even Durant remains uncertain. Catching Stephen Curry on the all-time three-pointers list — where Harden sits second with 3,255 to Curry’s astounding 4,111 — seems unlikely, even by his own admission.
But Harden’s biggest legacy might not lie solely in numbers. It lies in how he changed the geometry of the sport. How he redefined scoring for a new generation. How he built superstardom not through sheer athletic gifts but through innovation, craft, and relentless dedication.
The names ahead of him are giants. Harden never claimed to be one. Yet on a cold night in Minnesota, as he stepped to the line and took his place in history, the league was reminded once again:
James Harden didn’t need to fly to reach the sky. He built his own stairway one step-back at a time.
