James Harden may be more revered for his playmaking chops at this point in his career, but the 11-time All-Star can still fill up the hoop when needed. Harden’s consistent scoring prowess has led to him becoming the 13th player in NBA history to score 27,000. The Beard’s timeless dominance prompted high praise from his former teammate, Chandler Parsons.
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Parsons lauded The Beard as one of NBA history’s greatest scorers while celebrating his impressive milestone. The 36-year-old even recalled how the league had to change its rules because Harden made putting points up too easy during his peak with the Houston Rockets.
“They had to change the foul rule because of [Harden],” Parsons said on FanDuel TV’s Run It Back. “He’s so creative, so crafty, so strong with the ball.”
Parsons applauded Harden’s rise from sixth man to superstar, emphasizing his claim that Harden is one of the best scorers basketball has ever seen. As his running mate for two seasons in 2012-13 and 2013-14, Parsons was able to witness Harden’s budding stardom firsthand.
So it’s no surprise that the nine-year veteran has such strong words for the former MVP.
Lou Williams echoed Parsons’ sentiment, calling Harden a wholly unique talent akin to Stephen Curry. “You’ve never seen anybody play the way that [Harden] does,” Williams said.
The three-time Sixth Man of the Year lauded Harden for just adjusting his game to the NBA’s new foul rules and highlighted the possibility of The Beard joining the league’s exclusive 30,000 points club.
“They had to change the rules because it was so easy for him.” – Chandler Parsons
Shoutout to one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, James Harden, for reaching 27,000 points! 💯🔥👏 pic.twitter.com/aI8D3KqkEL
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) February 21, 2025
James Harden has reinvented his game but still gets buckets
James Harden’s scoring numbers are way down from his best years in Houston, where he was routinely dropping 40 points seemingly every night. In fact, the 35-year-old hasn’t averaged more than 25 points per game since leaving H-Town in 2020.
Yet, Harden has remained as vital as ever to the Los Angeles Clippers.
While his scoring has dropped off, Harden has taken his playmaking abilities to the next level. He has ranked near the top of the league in assists per game in each of the last five seasons, even leading the NBA with 10.7 APG in 2022-23.
Harden’s efficiency has been questionable this season, but his consistent production and steadying presence on the court led to his first All-Star selection since 2021-22.
Harden has helped the Clippers stay afloat amidst Kawhi Leonard’s injury struggles, keeping L.A. in the thick of the playoff race despite having low expectations heading into the season. Sitting at 31-24 and sixth in the Western Conference, James Harden may yet have one more deep playoff run in him.
