Former Sixers star James Harden comes in ranked No. 34 on all-time list
Former Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is one of the best players to ever play this game and he showed off his skill in his 1.5 seasons in the City of Brotherly Love. He averaged 21.0 points, 10.6 assists, and 6.4 rebounds per game while leading the league in assists in the 2022-23 season playing next to MVP Joel Embiid.
The Beard was then sent to the Los Angeles Clippers early in the 2023-24 season as he looked for greener pastures.
Bleacher Report ranked their top 100 players of all-time and Harden came in ranked No. 34 on the list:
Harden's best years came with the Houston Rockets, where he led the league in scoring three straight times from 2017-18 to 2019-20 and concluded a run during which he also led the NBA in free-throw attempts per game in seven of eight seasons.
One of the most devastating pick-and-roll forces the game has ever seen, Harden also developed into an unstoppable isolation threat. Elite quickness, strength and craft made it impossible to stay in front of Harden, and then he perfected a step-back three-pointer so deadly that opponents actually preferred to play defense behind him.
An extremely heliocentric star who has led the league in usage rate twice, never consistently defended and couldn't lead his team to a title, Harden has more than his share of detractors.
Harden's time with the Sixers was short, but it was memorable as he was the one who led an efficient offense and made life easy for Embiid on that end of the floor. He was also influential for Tyrese Maxey as he earned his first All-Star appearance in 2024.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
5 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Eugenio Suárez says X-rays were negative after he was hit on index finger by pitch against Tigers
Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — Arizona Diamondbacks All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suarez hopes he avoided major injury when he was hit in the right index finger by a pitch late in Monday night's 5-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Suárez, who is a candidate to be traded to a contender, was hit by a 95.6 mph sinker from Will Vest in the ninth inning. He immediately doubled over in pain and quickly left the field. 'The good news is that the X-rays were negative, but it still obviously hurt,' said Suárez, who was not bending the finger. 'There are more tests scheduled for (Tuesday) and we will go from there. I'll come back as quickly as I can.' The 34-year-old is hitting .247 with 36 homers and 87 RBIs in 104 games this season — the seventh time he has hit at least 30 homers in the last eight full seasons. 'He's very tough and he never even winces,' Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. 'When he reacts like that, you know it isn't good.' Lovullo said he didn't blame Vest. 'I don't think there was any intent there,' Lovullo said. 'He's one of the most impressive hitters in MLB and you don't want to take those type of players off the field.' The Diamondbacks are 51-56 and have already signaled they will be sellers at the deadline. One of the teams believed to be interested in Suárez is the Tigers. The Venezuelan was signed by Detroit at age 17 and made his debut for the club in 2014 before being traded to Cincinnati after that season. ___ AP MLB: recommended Item 1 of 1
USA Today
5 minutes ago
- USA Today
Ryne Sandberg dies at 65: Reaction to death of Cubs icon and Hall of Famer
Major League Baseball lost another one of its titans and Hall of Famers with the passing of Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg. Sandberg, who was a 10-time All-Star in his career, passed away at the age of 65 on Monday, July 28, after another battle with metastatic prostate cancer that had returned and spread to other organs in his body back in December. "Ryne Sandberg was a legend of the Chicago Cubs franchise and a beloved figure throughout Major League Baseball," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. REQUIRED READING: Ryne Sandberg, Chicago Cubs' All-Star second baseman, dies at 65 Added the Cubs on X (formerly Twitter): "Ryne Sandberg was a hero to a generation of Chicago Cubs fans and will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in nearly 150 years of this historic franchise. His dedication to and respect for the game, along with his unrelenting integrity, grit, hustle, and competitive fire were hallmarks of his career." Across his 16-year career, Sandberg built quite a resume when it came to awards, as he was a nine-time Gold Glove winner, seven-time Silver Slugger trophy winner and was named the 1984 National League Most Valuable Player. He also managed the Philadelphia Phillies, who drafted him in the 20th round of the 1978 MLB Draft, from 2013-2015, where he posted a managerial record of 119-159. Sandberg's death has also brought in an outpouring of reactions from those on social media. Here's a snippet of those reactions: Baseball reacts to Ryne Sandberg's death The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
USA Today
5 minutes ago
- USA Today
OKC Thunder Mailbag: How should Chris Paul be honored for contributions?
The calendar nears August, which means the NBA is in its driest part of the year. Rosters are mostly set as front offices head into vacation for the next couple of months before training camp starts. The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the 2025-26 season with the hopes of being repeat NBA champions. They had one of the greatest seasons ever with a 68-14 regular-season record and captured the Larry O'Brien trophy. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren were all signed to new contract extensions this offseason. As the Thunder basically run it back with the same roster, Thunder Wire will conduct regular mailbags to answer questions that fans have. One question being asked is about Chris Paul. The 40-year-old signed with the LA Clippers this offseason, signaling he's going for a poetic end to his Hall of Fame career. While his impending retirement isn't officially known yet, at least one fan believes the Thunder should honor Paul for his contributions when that day comes. Not just for his 2019-20 season, but for his OKC Hornets years. He spent his first two seasons from 2005-07 there as the then-Hornets temporarily relocated due to Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. It was a test run to see if small-market OKC can support an NBA franchise. While Paul hasn't done enough to warrant his No. 3 jersey to get retired, maybe there's a nice middle ground. Even though he only spent one season on the Thunder, his contributions go beyond that. He helped mentor Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He gave OKC fans one of its most fun seasons ever, considering expectations. It was a much-needed bounce-back campaign by Paul, where he earned All-NBA honors. When Paul visits the Thunder on the road, he usually receives applause. Being part of the Thunder Legacy Network is the best answer. Every year, the Thunder invite over alumni players to be celebrated by fans for their time in OKC. They could also throw in his time on the Hornets, too. It'd be worth a shoutout. But once Paul hangs up his sneakers, he can be the headliner for a Thunder Legacy Network weekend in a future season. It's a program the Thunder have built up in recent years. The future Hall-of-Famer is always fond of his short time in OKC and left on good terms, which is impressive considering the immediate aftermath of being traded for franchise legend Russell Westbrook.
