LA Clippers guard James Harden has officially surpassed NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal to claim the ninth spot on the league's all-time scoring list. The Milestone came Monday night during the Clippers’ 117-109 victory over the Charlotte Hornets in Inglewood, California. Harden reached the marl milestone early in the third quarter with a successful 3-pointer, elevating his career total to 28,598 points across his 1,187th regular-season game. O'Neal, by comparison, had accumulated 28,596 points over 1,207 games throughout his 19-year career.

A Milestone Night Against Charlotte

Entering the game, Harden needed 14 points to pass O’Neal and wasted little time getting there. He finished the night with 32 points, playing pivotal role in the Clippers’ win. His scoring output including 13 points in the first half—11 of which came in the opening quarter—followed by 11 points in the third quarter and eighth in the fourth. The performance raised his career total to 28,614 points. Now in his 17th NBA season, Harden is averaging 25.6 points per game, his highest scoring mark since the 2019-2020 season,when he averaged 34.3 points per contest and captured the last of his three consecutive scoring titles.

A Steep Climb Still Ahead

While Harden has added another historic achievement to his resume, moving further up the all-time scoring list will be no easy task. Eighth place is currently held by Wilt Chamberlain, who scored 31,419 points in just 1,045 games over a 14-year career.

Where Harden Ranks Among the Game’s Greats

The NBA's all-time scoring list is led by LeBron James, who entered his Monday game with the Los Angeles Lakers with an astounding 42,601 points. Following James are other iconic figures such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Kevin Durant. Harden's distinguished career also includes other notable records; he recently ascended to 12th on the all-time assists list and holds the second spot all-time in 3-pointers made, trailing only Stephen Curry.