James Harden became the 11th player in NBA history to reach 28,000 career points on Monday night with a first-quarter layup against the Philadelphia 76ers. It should have been a celebration, a moment to reflect on the 17th season of one of the greatest offensive players the league has ever seen who is balling this year. Instead, it was just another frustrating chapter in the LA Clippers' disastrous 2025-26 season. Despite Harden's 28 points, the Clippers blew a double-digit fourth-quarter lead and dropped to 4-10 on the season.
For the second straight game, Harden had a chance to tie or win the game with a three-pointer at the buzzer and he missed. For the eighth time in their last nine games, the Clippers walked off the court as losers.
At some point, you have to ask, how much longer can Harden carry this team by himself? And at 36, father time catches up to everyone. When it's all said and done, how will we remember the player Harden was?
James Harden may end his iconic career without a championship
When his career is wrapped up, James Harden might go down as the best player ever to never win a championship. That might be the reality we live in. This is a guy who has averaged 24.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game over a 17-year career. He's a former MVP, a 11-time All-Star, a three-time scoring champion, and now the 11th player in NBA history to reach 28,000 career points. He's on track to finish top 10 all-time in both points and assists, a list that includes only him and LeBron James.
But here's the thing that probably keeps Harden and his supporters up at night: he was extremely close. Those Houston Rockets teams from 2015-2019 were absolutely elite, routinely posting 55-65 win seasons and making deep playoff runs. Harden was unstoppable during that stretch as he revolutionized the step back 3, averaged over 30 points per game for three straight seasons and dragged some mediocre rosters to the Western Conference Finals.
The problem? The Golden State Warriors. Harden ran into the greatest dynasty of the modern era. The Warriors with Kevin Durant were basically unbeatable, and Harden's Rockets came closer than anyone else to toppling them.
In 2018, the Rockets pushed the Warriors to seven games in the Conference Finals and were up 3-2 before Chris Paul injured his hamstring. As that series is haunting for NBA fans to this day, if Paul stays healthy, there's a legitimate argument that the Rockets win that series and go on to beat the Cavs in the Finals.
Harden was genuinely unlucky to run into the Warriors dynasty at the peak of his powers. Without Durant joining Golden State, Harden probably has at least one ring, maybe two. His legacy would be completely different. But that's not what happened, and now Harden is stuck with the narrative that he can't win when it matters most.
So where does Harden rank among the greatest players to never win a ring? It's a short list, but it's a prestigious one: Chris Paul (12-time All-Star with elite defensive impact and arguably the greatest floor general of his generation), Charles Barkley (1993 MVP who led the Suns to the Finals but ran into Jordan's Bulls), Karl Malone (two-time MVP who finished second all-time in points), and Steve Nash (two-time MVP who revolutionized the point guard position). Harden belongs in that conversation, and likely at the top
James Harden's playoff reputation is real and unfair
The biggest knock on James Harden has always been that he disappears in big playoff moments. The stats back it up: his scoring average drops in the playoffs, his three-point percentage plummets, and he's had some genuinely awful elimination games.
When you watch him in those moments, there's a visible difference. The confidence isn't there. He looks passive and lost at times. Exhausted, even. Harden has always been asked to do too much in the regular season, and by the time the playoffs roll around, he's got nothing left in the tank.
This season is the perfect microcosm of Harden's entire career. He's averaging 26.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game on 46/40/91 shooting splits, a ridiculous 64.5% true shooting percentage at 36 years old. He's playing 37 minutes per night, carrying the entire offensive load, and doing everything humanly possible to keep the Clippers afloat. He looks better than he has since his hamstring injury in Brooklyn three years ago.
But then the fourth quarter comes, and the double teams arrive, Harden is gassed. Against the 76ers, he went 2-for-12 from three. Against Boston the night before, he missed a game-tying three at the buzzer. It's not that he's choking, it's that he's being asked to be Superman for 37 minutes, and by the time the game is on the line, he's mortal against great coverages.
Harden is proving there is no quit in him
Say what you want about James Harden's playoff struggles or his defense or his iso-heavy playing style. But you can never question his durability or his commitment. He is, quite literally, the NBA's ironman.
Every single offseason, there are reports that Harden is "out of shape" or "not taking his conditioning seriously." And every single season, Harden shows up and plays 35+ minutes per night for 70+ games. This all comes down to his mentality, and the idea that he's not in elite condition is absurd. You cannot be a perennial MVP candidate for most of your career and play the amount of games he does later in his career if you aren't in top condition.
The man is the oldest player in NBA history to record a 40-point triple-double. He's showing up every single night, playing huge minutes, and producing at an All-Star level in year 17. That deserves respect, regardless of how his game is perceived.
James Harden's miraculous efforts aren't enough for the LA Clippers
James Harden is having an incredible season given the circumstances. He's been the LA Clippers' only reliable source of offense with Kawhi Leonard sidelined since November 3rd. He's playing 37 minutes per night, logging heavy minutes on both ends of the floor.
Here's the thing: the Clippers aren't losing by wide margins. They're actually competitive for most of the game thanks to Harden. But when it matters most, when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter, they're collapsing. The losses are piling up, but they're all close.
The biggest problem facing the Clippers right now is simple: James Harden is the only player on the roster who can create his own shot. With Kawhi Leonard out, there's no secondary creator.
Ivica Zubac can finish around the rim, but he's not a shot-creator. John Collins can knock down open jumpers, but he's not someone you can run offense through. Kris Dunn is a solid defender, but struggles to make his open shots.
That leaves Harden as the only offensive engine, and teams are game-planning accordingly. The Philadelphia 76ers threw everything at him on Monday night: double teams, traps, switches, and Harden still managed 28 points. But when the game was on the line, Philadelphia knew exactly where the ball was going.
At 36 years old, its not sustainable for Harden to be able to carry the load. Even at his peak, that would be a lot to ask. In year 17 of his NBA career, it's borderline impossible.
Harden will be judged by championships when his career is concluded
When Harden’s career finally lands on its last page, it won’t read like a neat, linear success story. He’s always lived in the fire: the extension talk for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the roster chaos with the Houston Rockets, the drama on the Brooklyn Nets, the fractured fit on the Philadelphia 76ers, and now an LA Clippers team limping through a season that feels like it might already be slipping into the abyss. And yet, here he is at 36, the steady hand in the eye of another storm. For once, the chaos isn’t of his making. It’s the injuries. It’s the age. It’s the broken roster construction. It’s the burden of being asked to prop up a cursed franchise with a new fancy expensive arena.
A decimated roster, a 1–7 record without Kawhi, and a rotation held together by tape has turned Harden into the accidental life raft of a team drowning in injuries and expectation. He’s delivering 26/6/9 on elite efficiency, night after night, but at what cost?
The question will always be: will he ever get that elusive championship? Or will he retire as one of the greatest to never win it all?
When his playing days are over, we'll remember James Harden as one of the most polarizing superstars in NBA history. The stats will be incredible. The highlights will be legendary. But there will always be that asterisk: he never won a championship. And fair or not, that's how history will judge him.
For now, though, all we can do is appreciate what we're watching. A 36-year-old James Harden carrying a decimated Clippers roster, and showing flashes of the MVP-caliber player he once was. It's not enough to save this season, but it's a tremendous reminder of just how good Harden was and still is.