NEW YORK – James Harden overtook Larry Bird on the NBA’s all-time scoring list and is now 34th overall. Harden reached the mark by scoring 24 points on Saturday night in the Brooklyn Nets’ 100-95 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
“We all know how good Larry was and the things he did in Boston,” said Harden. “A legend. And I think I just play the game the right way, and I hope good things happen for me, playing one of the greatest basketball players of all time is a great honor.”
Harden now has 21,792 points, one more than Bird.
Harden also made 10 rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks to complete his 24 points on Saturday. It was the ninth triple-double that Harden has recorded since joining the Nets in mid-January. It is tied with the third largest triple-double recorded by a player in a single season in the Nets franchise, according to ESPN’s Stats & Information survey.
0:49
James Harden shows his surprise at the press conference after the game, when informed that he surpassed Larry Bird in the list of all-time top scorers.
It is also the fourth most for a player in his first season with a team, according to data from the Elias Sports Bureau.
Harden scored the final 10 points of Saturday’s victory for Brooklyn – drawing with his second highest number of clutch points. With the victory over Detroit, the Nets improved to 8-1 when Harden registered a triple-double, and he could go through Gary Payton (21,813 points) and secure 33rd overall place to score his next 22 points.
“I just have to keep building, because at the end of the day, I want my name to be mentioned among those big ones,” said Harden.