NEW YORK – James Harden scored Larry Bird on the NBA’s leaderboard and is now 34th overall. Harden reached the milestone by scoring 24 points 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,” Harden said. “A legend. And I think I play the game just the right way, and hopefully good things happen to me to play one of the greatest ever basketball is a great honor.”
Harden now has 21,792 points, one more than Bird.
Harden also had ten rebounds, 10 assists and three blocks left with his 24 points on Saturday. It was the ninth triple double Harden has recorded since joining the Nets in mid-January. According to ESPN’s Stats & Information research, this is equivalent to the third most triple doubles recorded by a player in a single season.
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James Harden shows his surprise at the post-match news conference when he is told he has passed Larry Bird on the all-time standings.
According to data from Elias Sports Bureau, it is also the fourth most by a player in his first season with a team.
Harden scored the last 10 points of Brooklyn’s win for Brooklyn, drawing his second most connecting points. With the win over Detroit, the Nets improved to 8-1 when Harden scored a triple record, and he could move past Gary Payton (21,813 points) and finish 33rd overall by scoring his next 22 points.
“I just had to keep building because I want my name to be mentioned by the big ones at the end of the day,” Harden said.