After Surpassing Allen Iverson, James Harden Was Left Speechless
On Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers resumed their season with a close five-point victory against the Western Conference-contending Memphis Grizzlies.
The victory came thanks to a large team effort across the second half, with Tobias Harris' clutch three-point shots in the closing minutes helping the Sixers walk away with the win.
Despite having a cold first half, Joel Embiid picked up his offensive slack in the second half, ending the game with 27 points while grabbing 19 rebounds and making six blocks.
One of the skipped-over moments was towards the end of the second half when James Harden took a three at the top of the key.
As Harden made the shot, he surpassed Sixer icon Allen Iverson on the NBA's all-time scoring list, grabbing his 24,369th point, giving him sole possession of the 26th spot on the list.
Harden ended the game by leading his team in scoring with 31 points after draining six shots from downtown.
After the win, the star guard was asked about his recent accomplishment, which left him speechless at first.
“I don’t know, man. Just being in the NBA was a far-fetched dream, but now, when you tell me things like that, it’s just like, I don’t know. I don’t know what to say," Harden told reporters.
"Obviously, we know how important AI was to this league, obviously, to the city of Philly, but the culture, and the game of basketball itself," he finished. "I’m just happy to be in the same conversation as him. I got a long way to go.”
Prior to Thursday night's game, Harden had already surpassed other Philadelphia legends as Charles Barkley and Hal Greer, in the league's top 50 spots.
The only Sixer legend remaining in his way is Philadelphia native Wilt Chamberlain, who currently sits in the seventh spot with 31,419 points.
The next player ahead of Harden is Ray Allen, who ended his career with 24,505 points, so it's not out of the picture to see The Beard surpass another legend sometime soon.
Declan Harris contributes to All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him on Twitter: @DecIanH.
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