Los Angeles Clippers superstar guard James Harden joined the ultra-exclusive top 10 scorers in NBA history in early December, surpassing Carmelo Anthony with 28,290 points. Harden returned from injury to face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, revealing one harsh reality about James and his incredible scoring record.
James Harden Gets Candid on LeBron James’ Scoring Record
When asked about joining James in the top 10 scoring chart, Harden said, “Don’t even say Bron in this conversation. That record, nobody is ever catching that.”
“But just being back out there and allowing my teammates to help them win a game is important to me. It wasn’t pretty, but we got a win. So just got to build momentum off this.”
The Clippers will be rejuvenated at the return of their 36-year-old star man, who has proven time and again to be one of the most elite offensive scorers in NBA history. Harden has secured three NBA scoring titles during his career and even averaged a staggering 36.1 PPG during the 2018/19 season, the highest of any active NBA player.
However, like in anything, there are levels to the game, and James is on another planet when it comes to scoring in the NBA.
James surpassed Kareem Abdul Jabbar (38,387) as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in February 2023 and is the first player to score over 40,000 points in the regular season.
The next closest active NBA player to James is Houston’s Kevin Durant, who sits over 11,000 points away from the NBA icon. The four-time NBA champion also leads the all-time NBA Playoff scoring list, scoring 8,289 points. His hero, Michael Jordan, sits in second place, with nearly 3,000 fewer points.
James has reached heights that no one can comprehend. He is the first player to play 23 years in the NBA and is still one of the best players in the game, scoring 36 points in 37 minutes against Harden’s Clippers.
He was the youngest player to reach 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, and 40,000 points, and has maintained a career average of 27 points per game across his 23 years in the league.
From the 2004/05 season until the 2024/25 season, ‘King James’ never averaged below 25 PPG in the regular season, showcasing his consistency, excellence, and longevity. The Lakers star has missed most of this season with sciatica, but he has returned to his in-form Laker team and fitted seamlessly into the fold.
In 11 games so far this campaign, James has averaged 20.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, shooting 48% from the field. The Lakers are 8-3 since his return.
Few players can try to emulate, but it’s safe to say that there will never be another LeBron James in the NBA.
