James Harden Makes NBA History

NBA: Preseason-San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets

James Harden has impressively evolved his game since his days in Houston. Not only is the former MVP still a deadly scorer who can get to the free-throw line at will, but he has also improved his passing ability. This season highlighted that perfectly as he came away as the league leader in assists per game for the second time of his Hall of Fame career. With this in mind, the former Sixth Man of the Year has now made NBA history by becoming the first player in NBA history to win three scoring titles and two assists titles throughout his career.

James Harden Makes NBA History Securing Second Assists Title Along With Three Scoring Titles

Harden’s Impressive Season

James Harden led the league in assists at 10.7 per game. On top of this, he also tallied 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds per game, and shot 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. He has helped form a dynamic star duo alongside MVP candidate, Joel Embiid. Together, the duo led the Philadelphia 76ers to the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a win-loss record of 54-28.

This record was better than contending teams in the Western Conference as well and James Harden’s evolved style of play deserves a lot of credit for the 76ers’ success this season. James Harden may not be the slithery, crafty, high-powered scoring machine like he once was, but he is still an All-Star player who could be a key contributor on a championship contender.

James Harden: His Other Seasons

As alluded to already, James Harden has had other terrific seasons throughout his career. He won the MVP award back in the 2017-18 season where he also won the first three of his scoring titles at 30.4 points per game. The following season would see the Beard win another scoring title while he averaged 36.1 points per game. He would win his third straight the next season with an average of 34.3 points per game.

As for his other assist title, this came in the 2016-17 campaign as he tallied 11.2 assists per game. Many also forget that the 10-time All-Star won the Sixth Man of the Year award early on in his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder. These of course were the years when the Thunder had Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. With all of this in mind, it is easy to see why the Philadelphia 76ers still value James Harden so highly.

 


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