James Harden surpasses Carmelo Anthony, moves to 10th on NBA all-time scoring list

The Los Angeles Clippers have gotten off to a disastrous start in the 2025-26 NBA season, winning just six of their first 24 games to sit 14th in the Western Conference standings.

Their struggles continued on Sunday, December 7 (Philippine Standard Time), with a narrow 109-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center in Minneapolis.

Despite the loss, James Harden delivered a historic performance, scoring 34 points with five rebounds and six assists over 39 minutes on the court. Harden officially entered the NBA’s top-10 all-time scorers, surpassing legendary forward Carmelo Anthony.

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Coming into the game, Harden needed 20 points to overtake Anthony’s 28,289 career points. By the end of the night, the 36-year-old had 28,290 points, joining Kevin Durant (31,024 points) and LeBron James (42,268 points) as the only three active players in the top 10.

JAMES HARDEN.

TOP 10 SCORER EVER. pic.twitter.com/bl3bVmI90L

— NBA (@NBA) December 7, 2025

“It’s a blessing. A testament to the work I have put in. It’s an honor, especially with somebody like Carmelo who has done so much greatness for this league,” Harden said after the game.

Harden’s accomplishments extend beyond scoring. He is second on the NBA’s all-time three-pointer list behind Stephen Curry, fifth in career free throws behind Karl Malone, LeBron James, Moses Malone, and Kobe Bryant, 13th in all-time assists, and fourth in turnovers.

Even with the Clippers struggling, Harden is playing some of the best basketball of his career, averaging 26.5 points per game — his highest scoring average since leading the league with 34.3 points per game during the 2019-20 season with the Houston Rockets.

Currently, Harden trails only Shaquille O’Neal on the all-time points list, with the Hall of Famer having scored 28,596 points during his storied career.

All-time NBA scoring list

1. LeBron James – 42,268 points 
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 38,387 points 
3. Karl Malone – 36,928 points 
4. Kobe Bryant – 33,643 points 
5. Michael Jordan – 32,292 points 
6. Dirk Nowitzki – 31,560 points 
7. Wilt Chamberlain – 31,419 points 
8. Kevin Durant – 31,024 points 
9. Shaquille O’Neal – 28,596 points 
10. James Harden – 28,303 points 

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