Despite not becoming a starter until the 2012-13 season, Rockets star James Harden is finishing the 2010s decade as the NBA’s top scorer.
And the final margin isn’t that close, even with Harden’s true breakout delayed until the October 2012 trade that sent him to Houston.
Entering Tuesday, Harden had 19,543 points this decade, as compared to 19,372 for second-place scorer LeBron James. That 171-point margin could grow above 200 if Harden plays on New Year’s Eve against the Nuggets, since James and the Lakers are already done with play for 2019.
Harden’s current backcourt co-star, Russell Westbrook, is fourth on the 2010s scoring list behind Harden, James, and Kevin Durant.
Amazingly, three of the decade’s top four played together in Oklahoma City from 2009-10 through 2011-12 and did not win the NBA title in those years. (That’s also a reminder of how difficult it is to win it all.)
The accomplishment of leading such a historic list of names speaks to the growing legacy of Harden, a former MVP and future Hall of Famer who has quickly climbed the ranks of the league’s all-time greats.
Harden’s 36.1 points per game average in the 2018-19 season was the highest of any NBA player in the last 31 years, and his 38.3 mark in the 2019-20 season would be the highest of any player in the last 56 years.
The decade honor also speaks to Harden’s unusual durability for an NBA star of his usage. Now in his 11th NBA season, he hasn’t missed more than 10 games in any season of his distinguished career.
With Harden only 30 years old and not yet showing any signs of decline, it’s quite possible he could rank high on the 2020s list as well.
Here’s a look back at many of Harden’s best plays of the 2010s decade. From all of us at Rockets Wire, Happy New Year!
