James Harden Finishes No. 32 on ESPN's All-Time Player Ranking
James Harden has yet to add a championship to his Hall-of-Fame resume, but the Rockets' superstar has already established himself as one of the greatest guards in NBA history.
Harden was named the 32nd best player in league history in a ranking compiled by ESPN on Tuesday. The 2017-18 MVP finished just ahead of legendary Celtics forward John Havlicek, and he fell behind Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas, who checked in at No. 31 on the list.
"Harden has developed into the ultimate offensive weapon of the analytics era, owning three scoring titles and an assists title," ESPN's Tim MacMahon wrote on Tuesday. "His step-back jumper has become one of the most potent signature shots in NBA history, allowing him to be a historic volume 3-point shooter who gets the rest of his points in the paint and at the free-throw line."
Only four active players finished ahead of Harden on ESPN's list, though the top 10 will be revealed on Wednesday. Giannis Antetokounmpo was ranked No. 27, and Kawhi Leonard finished No. 25. Former Warriors teammates Kevin Durant and Steph Curry were ranked No. 14 and No. 13, respectively.
Houston was well represented on ESPN's list. Fellow Rockets guard Russell Westbrook was named the No. 42 player in NBA history, while Hakeem Olajuwon finished ahead of Curry but below Oscar Robertson at No. 12.
Harden is in his 11th NBA season and his eighth with the Rockets. He has finished No. 2 in the MVP voting three times, and he is currently on pace for a third straight scoring title in 2019-20. Only Olajuwon and Calvin Murphy have more points in Rockets' history.
