No two eras in the NBA can be defined as the same. Each period in the league has carried its own unique identity, shaped by the style of play, the culture, and the superstars who made it their personal stomping ground. Some are even credited with changing the game forever, and in recent NBA history, that man is Stephen Curry. Paul Pierce, however, feels that James Harden deserves his share of recognition, too.
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Yes, Curry may be the greatest shooter to ever live. But prime Harden struck fear into the hearts of his rivals with his step-back threes and wizardry when it came to drawing fouls. In the midst of Steph’s three-point flurries, Harden’s revolutionary style, which made him one of the best scorers of his generation, somewhat went under the radar.
In a recent episode of Podcast P with Paul George, Pierce gave the Los Angeles Clippers man his flowers. He even stated how new-gen players copy what Harden made look easy, without even realizing who they were emulating.
“I don’t think James gets enough credit for changing the game,” Pierce said. “They say Steph, but like James too. A lot of kids is doing his sh**, and people don’t talk about that.” The Celtics legend is not wrong about it either. Harden was one of the smoothest ballers around, and like Curry, he made shots from downtown look like child’s play.
It wasn’t just three-pointers either. Harden was also a master of creating space for himself by luring defenders into making hasty moves with his slow, somewhat bait-y dribbling. And of course, modern fans would call him a free-throw merchant, but before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s prowess in that department, Harden was the master of ‘and-1’s.
George then weighed in, recalling how Harden, during his best days, was the creative genius of his team. Ask any Houston Rockets fan. But more often than not, he ran into superteams — like the Golden State Warriors led by Curry, Kevin Durant, and Klay Thompson. Today, the league is more balanced, and a prime Harden could have thrived even more in this era of greater parity.
“If James were around for how teams gotta be built now, cuz you give him the ball, he can create, he can do everything. He ran into the superteams. So, if James is a part of this sh** now, fresh James, it might have been difficult, you know. It might have been difficult for a motherf***** to get past James,” George added.
Harden is a future Hall of Famer, there’s no doubt about that. But there’s always one thing that will be questioned when looking at his résumé: the absence of a ring. Now with the Clippers and a healthy Kawhi Leonard by his side, the 2025–26 season will likely be one of his last real shots at getting it done. Perhaps that’s why Steph is regarded more highly. Because he beat Harden when Harden couldn’t beat him.
