Los Angeles Clippers star guard James Harden made some NBA history on Monday night.
With his point production during L.A.’s 117-109 win over the Charlotte Hornets, Harden officially passed NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal in NBA record books and moved into ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
James Harden passes Shaq on all-time scoring list
O'Neal scored 28,596 points over the course of his illustrious career. Harden now has 28,614 and counting.
There are now only eight players who have scored more points in the NBA than Harden. Those eight players are LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant and Wilt Chamberlain. Not bad company for Harden.
After the game, Harden said he was honored by the accolade as he grew up watching O’Neal win championships in L.A. With the Lakers.
"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."
Chamberlain would be the next player that Harden could potentially pass, but it won’t be immediate. Chamberlain scored 31,419 in his career, so Harden needs nearly 3,000 points to eclipse that number. He can certainly hit that number, but it will likely take another season or two.
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