James Harden has climbed another rung on the NBA’s historical ladder, moving past Shaquille O’Neal to claim ninth place on the league’s all-time scoring list. For a player long defined by his offensive wizardry, the milestone underscores just how enduring and productive his career has been.

O’Neal dominated his era through brute force in the paint, overwhelming defenders with size and power. Harden has reached this rarefied air in a completely different way, reshaping the modern perimeter game with step-back threes, foul-drawing craft, and a unique blend of patience and burst. Their contrasting styles highlight how the league’s offensive center of gravity has shifted from the post to the perimeter over the last two decades.

Harden’s rise is not simply about longevity. At his peak, he was one of the most relentless offensive engines the NBA has seen, routinely ranking among the league leaders in scoring and usage while also initiating much of his team’s playmaking. That dual role as both scorer and facilitator has made his accumulation of points feel both inevitable and, at times, understated.

Passing O’Neal places Harden in a tier reserved for the most prolific scorers in league history, a group that includes a blend of dominant big men and perimeter icons. It also reinforces his case as one of the defining guards of his generation, particularly in how he stretched the boundaries of what isolation offense and three-point volume could look like at the highest level.

From a league perspective, Harden’s ascent is another data point in the evolution of offensive philosophy. The three-point revolution, the spacing era, and the rise of heliocentric offenses all converge in his career arc. As he continues to add to his total, attention will naturally turn to the names still ahead of him and how far he can climb. For now, surpassing O’Neal cements Harden’s place in the conversation about the most impactful scorers the NBA has ever seen.