Harden bravely climbs the 28,000-point peak: continuing to write a legend, aiming for the 30,000 milestone

In a fierce battle at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, basketball superstar Harden quietly rewrote the history of the NBA with a seemingly ordinary but meaningful layup. When he converted the offense in the first quarter, he easily made a layup, and the numbers on the scoreboard jumped. He officially became the 11th member of the 28,000-point club in the 78-year history of the NBA. In this era when three-pointers are prevalent, he completed a gorgeous transformation from a super scorer to a historical scorer.

Milestone moment: Ordinary layup, extraordinary leap

There are 10 minutes and 15 seconds left in the first quarter of the game. Harden is like an agile cheetah during the fast break, catching the ball, starting, flying, and picking up the basket. A series of actions are smooth and natural. This layup not only opened the scoring for the game, but was also a key step in his career scoring from 27,999 to 28,000, completing a historic qualitative change.

In the first quarter, Harden was in hot form, making 5 of 9 shots and scoring 17 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. He used his strength to declare that the milestone is not the end, but the starting point of a new journey. On the commemorative poster released by the Clippers after the game, Harden's deep eyes staring into the distance overlap with the young boy who emerged from the bench twelve years ago, witnessing his growth and transformation along the way.

Historical coordinates: A unique imprint on the glory list

Harden's name is engraved on the 28,000-point glory monument, along with a number of legendary stars: LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain, Kevin Durant, Shaquille O'Neal, Carmelo Anthony. This list condenses the scoring aesthetics of various eras in the NBA. Harden, as a guard, has achieved this achievement in the current era of faster pace and tighter defense, which makes him particularly unique. His success is not only proof of personal strength, but also a new definition and expansion of the defender's scoring ability.

Scoring Evolution: The Road to Counterattack Creates a Unique Aesthetics

Looking back on Harden's basketball career, his scoring path can be called a counterattack legend of self-breakthrough. During his time with the Thunder, as the Sixth Man of the Year, he only scored 2,023 points in three years. However, after switching to the Rockets, Harden experienced explosive growth. From 2018 to 2020, he averaged 30+ points per game for three consecutive years, and in 2019 he averaged an astonishing 36.1 points per game. Over the past ten years, Harden has accumulated 19,875 points in the regular season, ranking first in the league, showing an amazing ability to sustain scoring output.

Harden's scoring method is even more unique and defines his era. His clever use of step-back three-pointers is like the strokes of a master of art; his innovative and exquisite foul-drawing techniques have become an effective means of scoring; his diverse handling after the pick-and-roll makes his opponents elusive. These elements together constitute the unique "Harden-style scoring aesthetics", bringing fans one visual feast after another.

The next road sign: aiming for 30,000 points, the future is promising

After breaking through 28,000 points, Harden has set his sights on the next milestone - the 30,000-point club. Currently, he is only 289 points away from Anthony (28,289 points) in front of him. Based on the average points per game this season, he is very hopeful to surpass Anthony this season and rise to 10th place on the historical scoring list. Although there is still about 2,000 points behind the 30,000-point mark, with Harden's game intelligence and gradually transforming style of play, as long as he stays healthy, he is expected to become the 10th 30,000-point man in history next season or at the beginning of the 2026-27 season.

Harden's wonderful leap at the 28,000-point milestone is the shining pearl of his basketball career, and it is also an important part of the NBA's historical picture. He writes legends with his strength, and we will look forward to witnessing his magnificent journey to the 30,000-point peak.