Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden is undoubtedly one of the best players to ever play the game of basketball. He is an offensive maestro on the floor as he can make all of his teammates better and has done an excellent job of utilizing his skill to build a Hall of Fame career.
However, there is one thing missing from Harden’s resume: a championship ring.
Harden possesses an MVP award, three scoring titles, 10 All-Star appearances, has made an All-NBA Team seven times, and he led the league in assists in the 2016-17 season as well as being a member of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team. The only thing missing is that ring which is such an important accolade in basketball history.
Bleacher Report put together their list of the best players who have never won a ring and Harden popped up on the list ranked 9th on their list:
His 23,477 points scored rank 28th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, with a significant chunk coming from three-point range and the free-throw line. His 7,044 made free throws rank ninth on the league’s all-time leaders list, while his 2,593 made three-pointers put him third all-time.
But the stats only tell part of the story when it comes to Harden’s impact on the game. Not only has he scored at a high clip, but he has also done so in style, utilizing a signature step-back jumper often copied—but never truly duplicated—by basketball players at all levels.
The 32-year-old has shown himself to be more than just a lethal scorer. He’s a true game-changer whose impact, with or without a championship ring, will linger long after he is done playing.
Harden and the Sixers will hope that he can be back to being the elite scorer he was in the past in the 2022-23 season. The Beard is set to have a normal offseason workout regimen and he should be in a healthier spot as he gets set for his first full season in Philadelphia.
This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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