James Harden Shouts Out OKC Thunder After Record Night

Clippers star James Harden made sure to shout out his NBA beginnings on a record-setting night.

Nov 17, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden (1) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Utah Jazz at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

With an all too familiar swish of the net, Clippers star James Harden moved to No. 2 in the NBA on the all-time 3-pointers list.

With around six minutes remaining in the opening frame versus the Jazz, Harden hoisted a patented 3-pointer, slightly stepping back and burying it over the outstretched hand of Utah star Lauri Markkanen. This triple would give him 2,974 in total for his career, pushing him past legendary shooter Ray Allen. 

Now, the former Rockets MVP trails only the similarly active Steph Curry, who continues to play at superstar level pace.

“They set the blueprint,” Harden said of his former Oklahoma City teammates. “When I got there, they already had the blueprint of how to work, how to be a professional in this league. All I did was just fall right in line — every single day, you work your butt off, listen to the coaches, and figure out how to play ball every single night.”

Harden continued, specifically calling out his time with Oklahoma City to begin his career.

“Those three years really helped my NBA career, because it just gave me a  ground base to go off of. And from that point on, I was so comfortable and confident in myself, when I was traded to Houston, I just knew I would be successful — shout out to KD, shout out to Russ and the entire Oklahoma City organization for that ground building they give you.”

Harden would finish with 20 points on Sunday night, helping OKC’s Western Conference rival LA to an 11-point win over the Jazz.

It’s been a number of years since the MVP trio flanked each other in Oklahoma City, but the ripples still remain throughout the league. And Harden’s Ford Center 3-pointers count just as much towards records as those in new multi-billion dollar Intuit Dome.

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