Milestone! Harden surpasses O'Neal in career points to rank 9th all-time, trailing only LeBron and Durant among active players.

On January 13th Beijing time, in the matchup between the Clippers and Hornets, Harden surpassed O'Neal's career regular-season total of 28,596 points, ascending to 9th place on the NBA's all-time scoring leaderboard, further cementing his status as a premier scorer in the league. Among current players, only LeBron James (42,601 points prior to today's game) and Kevin Durant (31,458 points) have scored more than Harden.

Harden was selected third overall in the first round of the 2009 draft by the Thunder, initially playing as a sixth man before moving on to the Rockets, Nets, 76ers, and Clippers. An 11-time All-Star, 2017-18 MVP, and three-time scoring champion, he developed into an almost unstoppable offensive force during his prime.

Mike D’Antoni once openly stated that Harden is “the best offensive player I’ve ever seen.” While coaching the Rockets, D’Antoni shifted Harden to point guard, a move that unlocked the Los Angeles native’s offensive potential, turning him into one of the league’s top offensive weapons.

Harden possesses smooth and solid ball-handling skills, allowing him to navigate the court from any position; he is stronger than most guards and wings, yet more agile than many big men.

With his signature step-back three-pointer, he transformed NBA offense, consistently drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. Additionally, he is a highly intelligent playmaker who excels at finding cutting teammates and delivering alley-oop assists.

During his time with the Rockets, Harden became one of the first modern NBA superstars to carry a team as the primary scorer. Only five players have combined more total points and assists in their careers than him—LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan. Among these six, only Jordan has played fewer games than Harden.

Entering the later stages of his career, Harden’s explosiveness has slightly declined, but he remains a highly threatening and consistent offensive leader. In his 18th NBA season, he still averages 25.6 points and 7.9 assists per game.

This season, Harden’s shooting percentages are 43% from the field, 36.3% from three-point range, and 89.3% from the free-throw line, roughly matching his career averages of 43.9%/36.3%/86.2%. He is drawing a career-high 8.6 free throws per game since leaving Houston, and his assist rate ranks eighth in the league.