James Harden passes Shaquille O'Neal, moves into ninth place on NBA's all-time scoring list

James Harden has moved ahead of an NBA icon.

With a 3-pointer early in the second half Monday against the Charlotte Hornets, Harden scored his 28,598th career point. The bucket moved him into ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, ahead of Shaquille O’Neal.

“The most dominant big man in the history of the game,” Harden said after the 117-109 win, reflecting on O’Neal. “It’s a true honor. It’s a testament to the work that I put in, and it’s all glory to God.”

Harden moved into the top 10 in December with a free throw against the Orlando Magic, which pushed him ahead of Carmelo Anthony. He entered Monday’s game with 28,582 career points, trailing O’Neal’s tally of 28,596 by just 14. He passed O’Neal in his 1,187th game, slightly ahead of O’Neal’s pace of 1,207 career games played. Harden reached his tally after playing his first three NBA seasons off the bench in Oklahoma City.

The all-time scoring list does not consider combined NBA and ABA scoring. If ABA scoring is taken into consideration, Julius Irving (30,026 points) and Moses Malone (29,580) round out the top 10, ahead of Harden and O’Neal. Regardless, it’s a remarkable feat, even if Harden’s style of play has earned him a legion of detractors.

In addition to his immense talent and hard work, Harden’s game is very much a product of modern analytics, which doesn’t always produce compelling basketball for viewers. He has generated more than 18,000 of his points from the free-throw line or beyond the 3-point arc, meaning that roughly one-third of his points have come from mid-range or scoring at the basket.

Harden’s detractors would also be quick to point out that he’s one of only two players in the top 10 without an NBA championship; Karl Malone is the other. But while Harden’s reputation for foul baiting doesn’t make for the most aesthetically pleasing form of basketball, it’s certainly effective, as the numbers bear out. There’s no denying that he’s one of the great offensive weapons in the history of the game.

At 36 years old, Harden remains an elite scorer (25.6 ppg) with a chance to move further into the top 10. That said, he’ll be stuck at No. 9 for a while. Next on the list is Wilt Chamberlain, who is nearly 3,000 points ahead of Harden with 31,419.

Then comes Kevin Durant (31,458 as of Monday), who passed Chamberlain last week for seventh and, like Harden, is showing few signs of slowing down, with 26.1 points per game in his age-37 season. 

LeBron James is the only other active player in the top 10. His all-time record of 42,601 points (and counting) is almost certainly out of Harden’s reach.

NBA all-time scoring list

1. LeBron James, 42,601

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, 38,387

3. Karl Malone, 36,928

4. Kobe Bryant, 33,643

5. Michael Jordan, 32,292

6. Dirk Nowitzki, 31,560

7. Kevin Durant, 31,458

8. Wilt Chamberlain, 31,419

9. James Harden, 28,615

10. Shaquille O’Neal, 28,596