Entering Sunday’s Clippers-Jazz game, James Harden needed one goal to move into second all-time for most three-pointers made.
He reached the milestone in the first quarter.
With a pull-up 3-pointer from the right wing, Harden reached a career total of 2,974 3-pointers, moving him out of a tie for second place with Hall of Famer Ray Allen.
It is a position he plans to retain until his retirement.
Harden is far behind all-time 3-point shooting leader Stephen Curry, who entered Sunday with 3,782 career 3-pointers, more than 800 more than Harden. The Warriors big is making 3.9 three-pointers per game this season and will surely add significantly to his record before calling it a career.
Harden’s built his own expected Hall of Fame resume as a prolific scorer with 10 All-Star bids, seven All-NBA selections, three scoring titles and an MVP trophy. He is also a two-time assist champion with a knack for getting to the free throw line.
Three-point shooting isn’t necessarily the first or second thing that comes to mind when you think of Harden’s game. That he’s ahead of savants Allen, Damian Lillard, Reggie Miller and Klay Thompson on the three-point list is a testament to his status as one of the best offensive players of all time.