James Harden is already better than Shaquille O'Neal

James Harden reached a new milestone in his career by surpassing Shaquille O’Neal and claiming the ninth spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list. The Los Angeles Clippers guard nailed a three-pointer early in the third quarter of Monday's game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, raising his regular season points total to 28,598 in his 1,187th game. O’Neal had amassed 28,596 points in 1,207 games over 19 seasons.

"Shaquille O’Neal, someone I literally grew up watching here in Los Angeles," stated Harden. "Him and Kobe [Bryant] doing their thing, winning multiple championships, him being the most dominant center in the history of the game. It's a true honor, it's a reflection of the work that I've put in."

Harden, who started the night trailing O’Neal by 14 points, finished the game with 32 points and 10 assists in the Clippers' 117-109 victory over the Hornets. He scored 13 points in the first half, including 11 in the first quarter, and added 11 in the third quarter and eight in the final quarter, increasing his points total to 28,614.

The guard entered the game averaging 25.6 points per game, his highest average since the 2019-20 season when he won his last of three consecutive league scoring titles with 34.3 points per game.

James Harden on a Roll

Harden, who began the season with 28,582 points in his 17th campaign, faces a significant challenge to reach the next spot. Wilt Chamberlain holds the eighth position with 31,419 points in 1,045 games over 14 years. The all-time leader remains LeBron James with 42,601 points, followed by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant.

In addition to his scoring achievement, Harden also recently moved up to 12th on the all-time assists list with 8,604. The 11-time All-Star ranks second in three-pointers made (3,291), behind Stephen Curry.

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