James Harden passes Carmelo Anthony to enter NBA’s all-time top 10 scorers

James Harden has joined 1 of basketball’s astir exclusive clubs. The LA Clippers defender moved into 10th spot connected the NBA’s all-time scoring database connected Saturday, passing Carmelo Anthony during a 34-point nighttime successful a 109-106 nonaccomplishment to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He finished the crippled astatine 28,303 vocation points.

“Blessing. A testament to the enactment I've enactment in,” Harden said afterward. “It's an honor, particularly with idiosyncratic similar Melo, who's done truthful overmuch greatness for this league.”

He needed 21 points to determination up of Anthony’s 28,289 and got determination successful the 3rd 4th with a brace of escaped throws. Next connected the database are Shaquille O’Neal and erstwhile teammate Kevin Durant. Harden admitted that simply seeing his sanction among the greats inactive feels surreal. “You look astatine that list, it's similar there's nary way,” helium said. “There's nary mode I got an accidental to beryllium a portion of this list. It's conscionable virtually similar a imagination travel true.”

A ground-based scorer who changed however guards play

Harden knows helium does not acceptable the classical superstar mold. “I was looking astatine the list, and it's similar each those guys are mode bigger than me, mode much diversion than me,” helium said. “They were flying. I mean, I've been playing everything connected the ground.”

That crushed crippled helped redefine modern offense. His step-back jumper, erstwhile mocked by defenders and fans — “they were like, 'He's traveling! He's traveling!'” — is present copied everywhere. “Of course, present virtually everybody's doing it,” helium said. “It's thing that I tin truly beryllium arrogant of myself… I decidedly took it to different level.”

Houston commercialized arsenic a turning point

Harden inactive thinks astir however his determination from Oklahoma City to Houston unlocked his prime. “Life-changing,” helium called it. “All these things astir apt wouldn't person happened if I was there… I perchance could person been a champion. Who knows? Possibly. But truthful I'm grateful.”

Asked if helium ever felt similar helium could not miss, Harden smiled: “I consciousness similar that still.”