Clippers James Harden Making History

The 'System," James Harden is still making history. Last Sunday night against the Utah Jazz, where the team wore their Clippers City Edition Jerseys, Harden surpassed the legend Ray Allen for second All-time in three-pointers made. He sits behind the greatest shooter of all time, Steph Curry of the Warriors.

Harden said it was an unbelievable accomplishment, and it's a testament to the amount of work he's been putting in his entire career. "So, I don't ever want to take it for granted. I just want to give motivation to the youth and every other person that's chasing a dream to play professional basketball or whatever it is. So, it's an honor."

The 16-year veteran was asked about potentially passing Curry for first on the list, and he mentioned how he's one of the most confident guys in this league. But he doesn't believe anybody will catch Steph Curry.

To surpass Curry for the first All-time, Harden believes someone has to have an unbelievable career, shoot the ball well, and make a lot of threes. "If it happens, it's going to be when we're not here anymore. That'll be for a minute." It's ironic how the basketball God works because Harden faced Curry the following night on back-to-back games at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood after he became second all-time in threes.

When Curry and Harden approached one another during warm-ups last Monday night, they showered each other with love and respect. It's a true brotherhood for the top two three-point shooters in NBA history. Curry talked about how unique it is for them to be from the same draft class, and now are the top two shooters in NBA history.

"It's special for sure," said Curry "He's had an unbelievable run, We've had a lot of battles. The fact he's now second on the list in front of two greats we both respect, it's pretty special. We'll see how far we both can push it. I know we got a lot left in the tank. He was the third pick and I was the seventh from the '09 class. Pretty special."

Kevin Durant, who played with James his first three years in the NBA, assisted Harden on his first ever three as a rookie. Durant congratulated his close friend on his major accomplishment while reminiscing on Harden's rookie season.

"Congrats JH, on reaching an amazing accomplishment. All the work you put in has paid off. You inspire so many people around the world with how you play. You've been a great teammate and a great friend. I love you, brother."

Coming into the league with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden had the blueprint set for him already from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. According to Harden, all he had to do was work and fall in line. He noted that the three years he played with those future hall of famers, helped him in his career. From that point on, Harden was comfortable and confident in himself. "When I got traded to Houston, I knew I would be successful. Shoutout to KD, shoutout to Russ, and the whole Oklahoma City organization."

Most people don't view Harden as a three-point shooter, according to Clipper head coach Tyronn Lue. "You think about all the step backs, and all the scoring, but you don't think of him as second all-time in three-pointers made."

Lue mentioned it's kind of how LeBron is a pass-first guy, but now he's the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. "It's kind of like the same thing,"

The Clippers next home game is against the Sacramento Kings on Friday at 7:30 p.m. and then they travel to the east coast for their next three games against the 76ers on Sunday at 3 p.m., Monday at Celtics at 4:30 p.m. and the Wizards at 4 p.m. on November 27. The Clippers current record is 8-7.

 

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