James Harden passed Shaquille O'Neal on the NBA all-time scoring list during the Los Angeles Clippers' win over the Charlotte Hornets and reflected on the emotional moment after the game.
James Harden added another major chapter to his long NBA career on Monday night, and the moment clearly meant a lot to him. After passing Shaquille O'Neal on the NBA all-time scoring list, the Los Angeles Clippers star opened up about what the milestone represented.
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Harden reached the mark during the Clippers 117-109 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 11 points in the first quarter to put himself within reach, struggled through a cold second quarter, and then broke through in the third by scoring 11 more points to officially move past O'Neal into ninth place all-time.
After the win, Harden reflected on the emotions tied to passing one of the games biggest legends.
“Its definitely special just because you grew up watching these players,” Harden said per Tomer Azarly. “Some you played against, some you watched as a younger kid, so it's definitely special. Shaq is someone that Ive watched being a hometown kid in L A, watched him, Kobe, and the Lakers do some special things here for the city. He's the most dominant center of all time, so it's definitely an honor, and it's special.”
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The veteran guard finished the night with 32 points, four rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals.
It was the 109th time in his career that he posted at least 30 points and 10 assists, once again showing his all-around impact on the game.
With 28,614 career points, Harden now sits ninth on the all-time scoring list. His next target is Wilt Chamberlain in eighth place, while only Kevin Durant and LeBron James remain ahead of him among active players, as Harden continues to climb toward even rarer territory in NBA history.
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