NBA: James Harden shoots past Shaq for 9th in all-time scoring

James Harden scored 32 points to pass Shaquille O’Neal, moving into ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list while also recording 10 assists in the Clippers’ 117-109 win over the Hornets.

FIELD LEVEL MEDIA / Reuters

January 13, 2026

James Harden of the LA Clippers shoots against Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets during the first half at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, on January 12, 2026.

Kirby Lee / Reuters

Just over a month after breaking into the NBA's all-time top 10 scorers, James Harden climbed another spot on Monday.

The Los Angeles Clippers guard scored 32 points against the Charlotte Hornets, surpassing Hall of Famer Shaquille O'Neal for ninth place on the all-time scoring list.

Harden hit a straight-away 3-pointer early in the third quarter, giving him 16 points for the game and 28,598 in his career—two more than O'Neal's total. He finished the game with 32 points, bringing his career total to 28,614.

The 11-time All-Star also contributed 10 assists in Los Angeles' 117-109 victory in Inglewood, California.

On December 6, Harden had already passed Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony (28,289 points) to enter the top 10.

Harden’s next milestone will be a challenging one, as Wilt Chamberlain holds eighth place with 31,419 points.

At the top of the list is Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who added 22 points in a loss to Sacramento on Monday to bring his career total to 42,623 points. Following James are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292), Dirk Nowitzki (31,560), and Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant (31,458).

In addition to his scoring achievements, Harden ranks 12th on the all-time assists list with 8,604, second in career 3-pointers made (3,291), and ninth in 3-pointers made per game (2.8). He also ranks fourth in career turnovers with 4,389.

—Field Level Media/Reuters