For several seasons, James Harden has been consistently recording high scores. On Saturday, he reached another milestone based on points, joining the elite group of 45 players in NBA history who have scored 20,000 career points.
And yet, the All-NBA guard didn’t have much to say after he surpassed the total in the second quarter of Houston’s blowout win over Minnesota.
“Obviously, it’s a significant achievement,” he stated. “However, I have broader visions and more ambitious goals, but it’s still quite impressive.”
Congrats to @JHarden13 of the @HoustonRockets for becoming the 45th player in @NBAHistory to score 20,000 career points! #OneMission pic.twitter.com/baYpaHhkJ3
— NBA (@NBA) January 11, 2020
Russell Westbrook, a teammate and longtime friend who also participated in the game where Harden scored his first NBA points, was significantly more expressive in his comments about the achievement.
“Doing that at such a high level is not something we take lightly,” said Westbrook. “Having grown up in L.A. and witnessed his development over the years, I consider it a blessing. As his friend, it brings me genuine joy to see his success.”
Harden helped the Rockets secure a 139-109 victory by scoring 32 points, collecting 12 rebounds, and providing eight assists in just three quarters.
Harden, needing only 10 points to reach the milestone, accomplished it in appropriate style with a step-back 3-pointer in the middle of the second quarter. This makes him the seventh youngest player to achieve this mark.
After Harden scored, the public address announcer succinctly declared ‘20,000’, which was then followed by a commemorative video played during the subsequent timeout. The video featured Harden scoring his initial NBA points while part of the Thunder, then making a free throw that brought his total to 10,000 points, and finally, a replay of the three-pointer that catapulted him to 20,000 points.
On Saturday, he received the game ball and gave it to his mother.
“Harden stated, ‘She possesses everything. Every objective and accomplishment that is mine belongs to her too. I handed it over to her, and she’ll keep it secure.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
