While it took Allen 1,300 games to tally 2,973 3-pointers, Harden took second place in 1,086 games.
A few weeks later, Harden inserted his name in the history books once more with his superb shooting. During a 126-122 victory over the Nuggets on Dec. 1, Harden drained six three-pointers and joined Steph Curry as the only NBA players to surpass 3,000 three-pointers made.
The achievement capped a standout week for the 35-year-old guard. Harden scored 43 points — his most as a Clipper — in a road win over the Wizards on Nov. 27, his 100th career game of 40 or more. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as the only players to accomplish that feat.
The impressive feat wasn’t the only career milestone for Harden in that Wizards matchup, either. The Clippers guard dropped 31 points in the first half, surpassing Kobe Bryant for the most 30+ point halves in NBA history, per StatMamba.
Now, after an explosive start to the year, Harden is quickly approaching 15th on the NBA’s career list in points and ranks 14th in assists. The only other player who ranks in the top 15 in scoring, assists and three-pointers made — appearing on all three lists — is LeBron James.
With a Hall of Fame-worthy resume that includes 10 All-Star selections, three scoring titles, a Sixth Man of the Year award, the second-most three-pointers made and the illustrious Most Valuable Player award, Harden is inarguably among the all-time great shooting guards.
The debate gets interesting because of his prospective ranking in the top three behind Jordan and Bryant. There is no shortage of NBA guards worthy of joining the all-time top three with Jordan and Bryant.
Basketball Hall of Famers Reggie Miller, Clyde Drexler and Vince Carter come to mind as potential options. However, Harden has a more impressive body of work than those aforementioned legends.
Frankly, Harden’s biggest competition for the esteemed top-three shooting guard acclaim is his former NBA Finals opponent, Dwyane Wade.
The fiery debate involving Wade and Harden was sparked by a recent episode of the “Club 520” podcast. Created by former All-Star Jeff Teague and co-hosts DJ Wells and Bishop Hendricks, “Club 520″ has routinely gone viral in the past year for its discussions surrounding basketball and pop culture.
In a recent episode, Teague’s bold take about Harden was listed in the video description: “Jeff makes the case that James Harden is the third greatest NBA shooting guard of all time, ahead of Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade, and trailing only Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.”
While Teague’s opinion is bold, it is not without merit.
During Wade’s decorated 16-year NBA career, the Chicago native won three NBA championships and was a 13-time All-Star. Still, despite his achievements, one could argue that Harden has enjoyed a more impressive career.
Harden is a three-time NBA scoring champion — something Wade accomplished just once in 2009. Harden is also a much better shooter than Wade, as evidenced by his 3,000-plus career three-pointers. Harden is also a former Sixth Man of the Year and Most Valuable Player award winner, something Wade never accomplished in the NBA.
While Wade’s defensive prowess may inspire some to rank him over Harden, the twilight of their careers could be the difference. At age 35, Wade was declining as an athlete and scorer. He averaged 18.3 points per game with the Bulls — an impressive figure for his age but a noticeable dip from his prime. Furthermore, in his final two NBA campaigns, Wade averaged a meager 13.3 points per game.
Meanwhile, Harden is faring much better in his bout against Father Time. Should Harden maintain his torrid pace this season, the Clippers guard would become just the ninth player in NBA history to average 20+ points per game at 35 years or older. Plus, unlike Wade, whose game was predicated on athleticism, Harden could continue to get buckets at a high rate deep into his career.
It’s still too early to tell, but when the dust settles, the 10-time All-Star could be considered the third-best shooting guard of all time.
