Patryk Stachowiak
James Harden added another landmark achievement to his Hall of Fame résumé on Monday night, climbing past Shaquille O’Neal into ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
The Los Angeles Clippers guard reached the milestone early in the third quarter against the Charlotte Hornets, draining a trademark step-back three-pointer to move his career total to 28,598 points. That basket officially pushed him ahead of O’Neal, who finished his legendary 19-year career with 28,596 points across 1,207 regular-season games.
Harden needed just 1,187 games to eclipse Shaq’s total, underlining the efficiency and longevity of his scoring output in the modern NBA.
A Vintage Scoring Night in Charlotte
Starting the contest 14 points shy of ninth place, Harden delivered a vintage offensive performance in the Clippers’ 117–109 road victory. He finished the night with 32 points, steadily building toward the record across all four quarters.
Harden set the tone early, pouring in 11 points in the opening quarter and reaching 13 by halftime. He followed with 11 more in the third quarter where the milestone shot came and added eight in the fourth to close the game. By the final buzzer, his career total had climbed to 28,614 points.
It was a reminder that, even deep into his career, Harden remains one of the league’s most reliable high-volume scorers.
Resurgent Scoring Form This Season
Entering the matchup, Harden was averaging 25.6 points per game, his highest scoring average since the 2019–20 season. That campaign saw him post a remarkable 34.3 points per game and secure the last of his three consecutive NBA scoring titles.
While his role has evolved in recent years, Harden’s ability to control tempo, create separation, and punish defenses from beyond the arc continues to place him among the league’s elite offensive threats.
The All-Time Scoring Landscape
With Harden now sitting ninth on the all-time scoring list, the next step up presents a far steeper challenge. Eighth place is occupied by Wilt Chamberlain, who amassed 31,419 points in just 1,045 games over 14 seasons.
At the very top, LeBron James continues to extend his lead as the NBA’s all-time scoring king with 42,601 points. He is followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant names that define basketball greatness across generations.
More Records to His Name
Scoring is only part of Harden’s historic profile. Earlier this season, he also climbed to 12th on the NBA’s all-time assists list, further cementing his status as one of the most complete offensive guards the league has ever seen.
The 11-time All-Star also ranks second all-time in made three-pointers, trailing only Stephen Curry, a statistic that perfectly reflects Harden’s lasting influence on the modern perimeter-driven NBA.
As Harden continues to add milestones to his career totals, the question is no longer whether he belongs among the greats but just how much higher he can climb before it’s all said and done.
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