Getty James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers
James Harden didn’t just help the Philadelphia 76ers to one of their biggest wins of the season on February 23, he also passed a Sixers legend to take his place in NBA history.
Harden scored 31 points in the 110-105 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, helping the Sixers erase a 17-point deficit to take down one of the top teams in the Western Conference. In doing so, he passed Sixers legend Allen Iverson on the all-time scoring list, and after the game opened up about the accomplishment.
“The Answer,” Harden said, via the USA Today’s Sixers Wire. “I don’t know, man. Just being in the NBA was a far-fetched dream, but now, when you tell me things like that, it’s just like I don’t know. I don’t know what to say.”
Harden Shares Love for AI
Speaking to reporters after Thursday’s win, Harden shared his appreciation for Iverson and spoke about what it meant to pass him on the all-time scoring list.
“Obviously, we know how important AI was to this league,” Harden added. “Obviously, to the city of Philly, but the culture. The game of basketball itself. I’m just happy to be in the same conversation as him. I got a long way to go.”
Last night, James Harden passed Allen Iverson on the all time scoring list 👑
26th: Harden — 24,386
27th: Iverson — 24,368
Harden moved into 26th place overall with 24,386 career points, though Iverson got there in fewer games, reaching his mark in 914 to Harden’s 984. Harden has a good chance to move into the top 25 before the season ends, as he sits just 111 points behind Ray Allen.
Harden’s Scoring Takes a Back Seat
Harden is scoring just 21.6 points per game this season, down from the 34.3 he notched in his final full year with the Houston Rockets in the 2020 season. While part of that could be the natural downturn for a 33-year-old who has lost some of his athleticism, the dip also comes as part of a concerted plan by the Sixers.
When Harden was left off the roster for the All-Star game, Sixers head coach Doc Rivers noted that he was willing to work more as a facilitator than scorer this season.
“The most disappointing part for me,” Rivers told the Philadelphia Inquirer regarding Harden’s All-Star snub. “We’ve asked James Harden to sacrifice for the team, to make the team better. He’s done that and he still has gotten the numbers. That should stand out, and somehow it didn’t.”
James Harden passed Allen Iverson for 26th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list
Harden has the second-best 3 point % of his career (38.9%) this season
But Harden is still efficient when shooting the ball, connecting on 38.9% of his 3-point attempts — the second-best mark of his career.
His efforts on Thursday were especially important, as the Sixers overcame a poor-shooting first half and an illness for big man Joel Embiid to win.
“This really just says what it said all year: We hang in there,” Rivers told reporters after the game, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. “We kept fighting and we had nothing. The first quarter was as bad as we could play defensively. They literally scored, I felt, every time. And then we fouled every time. So they got to score and set their defense up the entire first half.”