Los Angeles Clippers star guard James Harden passed Shaquille O’Neal for ninth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list during Monday night’s 117-109 home win against the Charlotte Hornets.
James Harden Grew Up Watching Shaq Play
Harden hit a 3-pointer early in the third quarter at Intuit Dome, pushing his career total to 28,598 points in his 1,187th regular-season game. O’Neal finished with 28,596 points in 1,207 games over 19 years.
“Shaquille O’Neal, somebody that I literally grew up watching here in L.A.,” Harden said. “Him and Kobe [Bryant] doing their thing, winning multiple championships, the most dominant big man in the history of the game. It’s a true honor, it’s a testament to the work that I put in.”
Per Basketball Reference, Wilt Chamberlain is eighth with 31,419 points in only 1,045 games across 14 years. LeBron James is the all-time leader with 42,623 points in 1,187 games over 23 years.
JAMES HARDEN PASSES SHAQ FOR NINTH ON THE ALL-TIME SCORING LIST 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Y0vwgaLpT0
— NBA (@NBA) January 13, 2026
Following James are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560), and Kevin Durant (31,458).
Harden entered Monday’s game 14 points behind O’Neal. The 11-time All-Star ended his night with 32 points, four rebounds, 10 assists, and four steals in 37 minutes of action.
The Clippers star had 13 points in the first half, including 11 in the first quarter, and scored 11 in the third and eight in the final frame to bring his career scoring total to 28,614.
Harden Moved Up On The All-Time Assists List
Through 36 appearances (all starts) this season, Harden is averaging 25.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 35.5 minutes per game while shooting 42.9% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc.
Harden recently moved up to 12th on the all-time assists list (8,604). The three-time scoring champ also ranks second in 3-pointers made (3,291), behind Stephen Curry.
The future Hall of Famer earned All-NBA Third-Team honors last season after averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in 79 appearances with L.A.
During the offseason, Harden also declined his $36.3 million player option to re-sign on a two-year, $81.5 million contract. The second year of Harden’s deal is a player option and is partially guaranteed, per Spotrac.
Amid team struggles earlier in the season, Harden and Kawhi Leonard’s names were mentioned in trade rumors across the league. The former was expected to be dealt before the latter.
The Clippers, however, could decide to keep both stars ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
L.A. hosts the Wizards on Wednesday night to finish a two-game homestand.
