James Harden reacts to passing Carmelo Anthony, moving into top 10 on NBA scoring list
James Harden didn’t pound his chest when he learned he had climbed into the top 10 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Instead, he treated the moment as both a personal milestone and a reminder of the long, winding road that brought him here.
Passing Carmelo Anthony, a Hall of Fame–caliber scorer and cultural icon of his era, is no small benchmark. Anthony was the prototype for the modern offensive wing: three-level scoring, isolation excellence, and a flair for big moments. For Harden to move past him is less about a single game or season and more about a decade-plus of relentless production, durability, and reinvention.
Harden’s journey to the top 10 is unique among the legends around him. Unlike some of the all-time great scorers who largely stayed in one system, Harden has reshaped his game multiple times. He evolved from sixth man to franchise cornerstone, then from pure scorer to heliocentric offensive engine, and more recently into a hybrid guard who toggles between playmaker and closer. Through every role change, the points kept coming.
League-wide, Harden’s rise up the scoring ladder underscores a broader shift in how offense is generated. His step-back three became one of the defining moves of the pace-and-space era, while his ability to manipulate defenses and draw fouls turned efficiency into a weapon. He did not just benefit from the modern game; he helped define it.
Surpassing Anthony also sparks a fresh round of Hall of Fame and legacy conversations. Top-10 status in career points has long been an informal threshold that separates great scorers from historically unavoidable ones. Harden already had an MVP, multiple All-NBA selections, and a stack of scoring titles. This milestone reinforces that his career cannot be discussed without referencing the all-time greats at his position.
For Harden, the achievement seems to serve as validation rather than a victory lap. The list will keep moving, new stars will climb, and eras will change. But cracking the top 10 ensures his name will stay etched into the league’s scoring history long after his final bucket.
Passing Carmelo Anthony, a Hall of Fame–caliber scorer and cultural icon of his era, is no small benchmark. Anthony was the prototype for the modern offensive wing: three-level scoring, isolation excellence, and a flair for big moments. For Harden to move past him is less about a single game or season and more about a decade-plus of relentless production, durability, and reinvention.
Harden’s journey to the top 10 is unique among the legends around him. Unlike some of the all-time great scorers who largely stayed in one system, Harden has reshaped his game multiple times. He evolved from sixth man to franchise cornerstone, then from pure scorer to heliocentric offensive engine, and more recently into a hybrid guard who toggles between playmaker and closer. Through every role change, the points kept coming.
League-wide, Harden’s rise up the scoring ladder underscores a broader shift in how offense is generated. His step-back three became one of the defining moves of the pace-and-space era, while his ability to manipulate defenses and draw fouls turned efficiency into a weapon. He did not just benefit from the modern game; he helped define it.
Surpassing Anthony also sparks a fresh round of Hall of Fame and legacy conversations. Top-10 status in career points has long been an informal threshold that separates great scorers from historically unavoidable ones. Harden already had an MVP, multiple All-NBA selections, and a stack of scoring titles. This milestone reinforces that his career cannot be discussed without referencing the all-time greats at his position.
For Harden, the achievement seems to serve as validation rather than a victory lap. The list will keep moving, new stars will climb, and eras will change. But cracking the top 10 ensures his name will stay etched into the league’s scoring history long after his final bucket.
