James Harden Congratulated by Former Thunder Teammate Kevin Durant 15 Years After NBA Debut

Harden passed Ray Allen to become No. 2 on the NBA career threes leaderboard Sunday night.

February 9, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant (left) high-fives guard James Harden (right) during the second quarter against the Sacramento Kings at Power Balance Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Five points, two rebounds and three personal fouls — James Harden's first NBA game did not offer much to write home about. He played 13 minutes off the bench and recorded a -5 plus-minus in a 13-point Oklahoma City Thunder win against the Sacramento Kings. The Thunder won 50 games and secured the Western Conference's No. 8 seed in the 2009-10 season before falling to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in a six-game first-round series.

Twenty points, 11 assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Harden's most recent outing, one that catalyzed a 116-105 LA Clippers win over the struggling Utah Jazz Sunday night, resulted in an impressive, yet unsurprising stat line for one of the league's best modern-era players.

Midway through the game's first quarter, the 10-time All-Star utilized a well-timed Ivica Zubac screen and jab step for an open right-wing three — which he drained to reach 2,974 career 3-pointers, one more than Hall of Famer Ray Allen for No. 2 on the NBA career threes leaderboard. Harden remains 807 triples behind Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who passed Allen in December 2021.

Kevin Durant scored 25 points on 24 shots in Harden's 2009 debut. That season, Durant averaged 30.1 points per game on 60.7% true shooting to secure his first of three consecutive scoring titles. He also made a cross-court fourth-quarter pass through the Kings' zone defense to Harden for his first career 3-pointer.

Durant, now in his third campaign with the Phoenix Suns, recently watched that triple — as shown on the official Clippers X account. He cracked a smile as soon as the ball went through the rim.

"Man, first 3-pointer in the league," Durant said.

Durant and Harden played 3,886 minutes together across 216 games as Thunder teammates. The pair helped Oklahoma City advance to the 2011 Western Conference Finals and 2012 NBA Finals before Harden joined the Houston Rockets in an October 2012 trade.

Both players stood out for their scoring efficiency and overall impact with the Thunder. Among the team's two-player lineups with more than 1,000 minutes, they recorded the second-highest true shooting percentage and net rating in the 2009-10 and 2011-12 seasons, as well as the third-highest true shooting percentage and net rating in the 2010-11 season.

About eight years and two months following his deal to Houston, the Brooklyn Nets traded significant draft capital for Harden, making him teammates with Durant again. Brooklyn reached Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals but lost to the subsequent title-winner Milwaukee Bucks in overtime. Durant and Harden combined for 70 points, 18 rebounds and 15 assists in that game.

"Congrats, JH, on reaching an amazing accomplishment," Durant said. "All the work that you put in has paid off. You inspire so many people around the world with how you play. Been a great teammate, a great friend. I love you, brother. Keep grinding."

Harden's outside output reached its most notable heights in Houston. His shooting willingness within coach Mike D'Antoni's system helped induce a league-wide 3-point revolution. In Harden's eight seasons there, the Rockets led the NBA in 3-pointers attempted per game six times and were the runner-up twice (2012-13, 2015-16). He hoisted over 10 triples per game in three consecutive seasons from 2017 to 2020 — a stretch that brought him the 2017-18 MVP Award, two other top-three MVP finishes and three scoring titles.

Harden made 378 3-pointers in the 2018-19 season, which remains the second-highest single-season total. Curry drained 402 in his unanimous 2015-16 MVP campaign, propelling the Warriors to an NBA-record 73 wins.

Team	3-Pointers Made	3-Point Percentage
Oklahoma City Thunder	320	37.0%
Houston Rockets	2,029	36.2%
Brooklyn Nets	198	34.8%
Philadelphia 76ers	207	37.0%
LA Clippers	221	36.8%

Harden has established a 3-point legacy defined by consistency, with a career 3-point rate 50% above league average and a career percentage 2% above league average.

"Appreciate all the love! 2nd All Time, still #Uno," tweeted Harden Sunday night, referencing his jersey number.

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