James Harden gets a lot flack. Whether it’s the beard, the rip-through maneuver that the league banned, or the Euro step that he perfected, most of it is noise. The one criticism that does have merit, and puts a hard ceiling on his place among the all-time greats, is his empty postseason trophy case. Harden, of course, has never won an NBA Championship. In fact, he’s only made the NBA Finals once, and that was way back in 2012 when he was still a 6th man for the Thunder. Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic are all players from Harden’s era who are safely ahead of him on the GOAT list, and it has everything to do with playoff success, or lack thereof. While that might keep Harden from cracking the top-ten, it doesn’t keep him from running neck-and-neck with Karl Malone as the greatest player to never win an NBA Championship.
Harden’s regular season resume is among the best in the history of the league. He won the MVP in 2018, and finished second in MVP voting three times. The other players to have four top-2 finishes in MVP voting? Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Nikola Jokic, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jerry West, and Bob Pettit. Company doesn’t get much more impressive than that. Harden was also named 1st Team All-NBA six times, which is more than Curry, Kevin Garnett, and Dirk Nowitzki.
Harden became a glorified cheat code after he first perfected the aforementioned Euro step, and then paired it with a historically uncanny ability to draw fouls and make three-pointers. He took the “threes or layups” mantra that has taken the NBA by storm one step further by unearthing “threes or free throws.” Harden’s ability to score in a variety ways, and do it efficiently has resulted in a remarkable ledger of unique accomplishments:
Harden’s Achievements
1). The only player in NBA history to average at least 36 points per game in a season with a .600 True Shooting %.
2). The only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 7.5 assists for three consecutive seasons.
3). The only season in NBA history with at least 750 free throws made and at least 350 3-pointers made.
4). The only player in NBA history to score at least 23 points per game, accumulate 8,000 career assists, and hold at least a .607 True Shooting %.
5). The only player in NBA history to have led the NBA in assists and also in 3-point field goals made.
6). The only player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring 3+ times and assists 2+ times.
7). The only player in NBA history with 8,000 career free throws made and 3,000 3-pointers made.
8). The only player in NBA history to have led the league in total points, steals, assists, and 3-pointers.
9). Led the league in scoring average for three consecutive seasons. Over the last 45+ years, only Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant have done the same.
10). Averaged at least 29 points for six consecutive seasons. The only other players in NBA history who can say the same are Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain.
11). Finished in the top-2 in scoring for six consecutive seasons. Only Jordan and Chamberlain can say the same.
12). 4th most 60-point games in NBA history.
13). 4th most 50-point games in NBA history.
14). One of only three players in history with a 60-point triple double.
15). Led the NBA in Win Shares five times. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, and Michael Jordan did it more often.
16). Led the league in free throw attempts seven times. Only Chamberlain did it more often.
17). Led the league in 3-point field goals made for three consecutive seasons. Only Steph Curry can say the same.
18). 5th most free throws in NBA history.
19). 8th most triple-doubles in NBA history.
20). Led the league in points scored four times. Only Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, and Kevin Durant did it more often.
21). Averaged 36.1 points per game in 2019. Only Chamberlain and Jordan averaged more in a single season.
22). Averaged at least 34 points per game in two different seasons. Only Chamberlain and Jordan can say the same.
23). Led the league in Value Over Replacement Player three times. Only Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, and Nikola Jokic have done it more often.
Harden’s postseason disappointments will almost always be the headline when discussing his place in history, and that’s fair. He simply doesn’t have the postseason hardware to crack the top-ten on the all-time list. However, Harden is every bit in the conversation as the greatest player never to win an NBA Championship, and his regular season virtuoso performances put him ahead of many superstars who did win a championship. Harden also comes in ahead of the early stars of the NBA who played in the weakest era the league has ever seen. What James Harden accomplished in a fully globalized league is more impressive than anyone who dominated small leagues when racial quotas existed and segregation was still a part of the national discourse. It’s highly likely that the combination of Harden’s empty postseason trophy case along with not being a particularly popular player will keep him from ever receiving his proper due as an all-time great basketball player. Nevertheless, his historical greatness is a matter of record for anyone who cares to look.
