James Harden passes Shaquille O'Neal for No. 9 on NBA scoring list: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant within reach

Monday's win over the Charlotte Hornets featured a vintage performance from Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden, who scored 32 points and dished out 10 assists and made history along the way. The three-time scoring champion passed Shaquille O'Neal on the NBA's all-time points leaderboard and closed the night with 28,614 for his career. He now ranks No. 9 in league history.

Harden reached his latest scoring landmark in the third quarter of the 117-109 win, and he did so, fittingly, with a 3-pointer. O'Neal is the second player Harden has passed on the leaderboard this season, as he leaped over Carmelo Anthony earlier in the campaign to become a top-10 scorer.

"It's definitely special just because you literally grew up watching these players," Harden said. "You played against some. You watched as a young kid. So it's definitely special. Shaq is someone that I watched being a hometown kid in L.A. watching Kobe and the Lakers do some special things here for the city. That's definitely special, watching one of the most dominant centers of all time. It's definitely an honor and special."

The 2025-26 version of Harden remains a far cry from the one that led the NBA in scoring for three consecutive years and won the MVP award in 2018, but the 17-year veteran is on a late-career upswing and seemingly has plenty left in the tank. His 25.8 points per game this year are his most since 2019-20, and he has now increased his production in consecutive years.

If Harden maintains this increased output over multiple more seasons, he will have a shot at passing more NBA legends in the scoring department. Next up on the list is No. 8 Wilt Chamberlain, who stands 2,805 points ahead of Harden.

Where will James Harden finish on all-time scoring list?

The ceiling for Harden is likely that of a top-five all-time scorer. Reaching that threshold will require him to play beyond his current contract without regressing much as a shot-maker. Cracking the top five would place Harden above Michael Jordan. If Kevin Durant remains on his pace and plays multiple more years, a top-five finish would also place Harden ahead of Kobe Bryant.

NBA all-time scoring leaders

Bold indicates active player

Using his three-year scoring average of 21 points per game, it would take Harden 176 more games to pass Jordan and 240 more games to reach Bryant. If he stays healthy, he could reasonably leap in front of both legends with two or three more seasons beyond the current campaign.

Since Harden is only under contract with the Clippers through 2027, he would have to sign another deal to have a shot at reaching the top five. At 36, nothing is a given. But Harden seems to have enough left in the tank to play beyond his current contract.