In a recent interview with Tidal League, 18-year NBA veteran Trevor Ariza cited James Harden as the greatest scorer he played with.
Trevor Ariza says the best scorer he ever played with was James Harden with the #Rockets. (Note: Ariza also played with Kobe Bryant 2007-2009)
“The sh*t he was doing, it was crazy. Just being on the court, sometimes you’d kind of like fall asleep just watching bro. Like damn, he… pic.twitter.com/QEvQfu7zzV
— ClutchFans (@clutchfans) June 11, 2024
Ariza and Harden were teammates on the Houston Rockets from 2014-2018.
In his career so far, Harden, who was named MVP with the Rockets in 2018, is a three-time scoring champion. Additionally, he is a 10-time All-Star and seven-time All-NBA selection. In his Rockets tenure, Harden scored 18,365 points. Harden currently sits in second place on the Rockets’ all-time scoring list, only trailing legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon. Furthermore, Harden is the team’s all-time leader in three-pointers made by a wide margin. With the Rockets, Harden drilled 2,029 three-pointers. Eric Gordon, another Harden and Ariza teammate, is in second place with 1,054 three-pointers.
Currently, Harden sits on 25,885 career points, 23rd-highest on the all-time NBA/ABA scoring list.
NBA Champion Reveals Greatest Scorer He Played With
Why Trevor Ariza’s Comments on James Harden Are Controversial
In his prime, Harden was nearly unstoppable. With the Rockets, he was constantly in the discussion for the MVP award. Furthermore, he could do it all as a scorer. He could create his own shot and score on a catch-and-shoot. Additionally, he is one of the most versatile scorers the NBA has ever seen. Harden could score the ball from anywhere–the three-point line, the free throw line, in the paint, and in the mid-range. With the exception of his rookie season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden has averaged at least 10 points per game over the course of a season every year. Furthermore, he has averaged at least 20 points per game in 11 of his 15 NBA seasons.
However, Ariza’s comments are interesting not because of his Harden praise. It is because Ariza has played alongside so many NBA legends. In his 18 NBA seasons, Ariza played for 10 different teams. This includes two separate stints with the Los Angeles Lakers. From 2007-2009, Ariza was teammates with Kobe Bryant and won a championship. Ariza later returned to the Lakers organization for the 2021-22 season and played with the NBA all-time leading scorer LeBron James.
Additionally, Ariza also played alongside major scorers like Tracy McGrady, Devin Booker, and, although it was the last season of his career in 2022, Carmelo Anthony.
The Last Word
While Harden is one of the most complete scorers the NBA has ever seen, it is noteworthy that Ariza ranked him as a better scorer than Bryant and James. Currently, James and Bryant have more career total points than Harden. And unless Harden plans on playing for another two decades, he is unlikely to catch either of them. Still, Harden’s playstyle and scoring ability are both truly unique. When it is all said and done, Harden will certainly go down as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history, if he is not already there.
