James Harden climbed into 10th place on the NBA’s career scoring leaderboard, surpassing Carmelo Anthony during the Los Angeles Clippers’ 109–106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis. Harden entered the game needing 21 points to pass Anthony’s 28,289 and moved ahead with a pair of free throws late in the third quarter.
James Harden has officially climbed into the NBA’s top 10 all-time scorers list 🔥
With his 21st point vs. Minnesota, Harden passed Carmelo Anthony for 10th all-time. pic.twitter.com/izMsT3F9xt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 7, 2025
Harden finished with 34 points on 10-of-18 shooting, including 13-of-15 from the line, adding six assists, five rebounds, four steals, and a block. The performance brought his career total to 28,303 points by night’s end, cementing his place among the top 10 scorers in league history.
The milestone reflects Harden’s sustained production across 17 seasons, highlighted by his eight-and-a-half years in Houston where he amassed 18,365 points and shaped an era with his blend of isolation scoring, step-back threes, and elite foul-drawing. Harden reached the mark in 1,174 games, overtaking Anthony’s total set in 1,260 contests.
Harden now sets his sights on Shaquille O’Neal, ninth with 28,596 career points, a gap that places the next climb within reach if his current scoring pace holds.
The All-Star guard reflected on the rarity of joining the top-10 scorers, calling it “like a dream come true” and a testament to years of work coming to fruition. The moment in Minnesota, secured at the line, fitting for a player who has artfully leveraged free throws throughout his career, provided a crisp snapshot of how Harden’s scoring craft has endured across teams and eras.
