James Harden shoots past Shaq for 9th in all-time scoring

Field Level Media|published: 01/13/2026, 1:37am EST

Jan 9, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) brings the ball up court against the Brooklyn Nets during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Just over a month after cracking the NBA's all-time top 10 in scoring, James Harden moved up another place on Monday.

The Los Angeles Clippers guard scored 32 points against the Charlotte Hornets while passing Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal for ninth place.

A 3-pointer from straight away early in the third quarter gave Harden 16 points on the night and 28,598 in his career, two more than O'Neal's total. Harden, 36, concluded the game with 32 points, giving him 28,614 points.

The 11-time All-Star added 10 assists in Los Angeles' 117-109 win in Inglewood, Calif.

On Dec. 6, Harden knocked Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony (28,289) out of the top 10.

Harden's next target is a long way off, as Wilt Chamberlain is eighth with 31,419 points.

Atop the list is the Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James, who scored 22 points in a loss at Sacramento on Monday to give him 42,623 lifetime points. Following James are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560) and the Houston Rockets' Kevin Durant (31,458).

Harden sits 12th on the all-time assists list (8,604), second in all-time 3-pointers made (3,291) and ninth in 3-pointers made per game (2.8). He is also fourth in career turnovers (4,389).

--Field Level Media