"Congrats JH" - Kevin Durant after assisting James Harden for his first career 3 has flowers for Clippers guard as he makes 3-pt history
James Harden made history on Sunday night in the LA Clippers' 116-105 win over the Utah Jazz at the Intuit Dome. Harden is now second on the all-time 3-point list, just behind Steph Curry. His former teammate Kevin Durant, who assisted his first 3, congratulated him via recorded video.
In a post by the Clippers on X, formerly known as Twitter, Durant watched himself assist Harden with his first 3-point shot in 2009 when they were with the OKC Thunder. He then sent his regards to his friend and teammate for passing Ray Allen in the all-time 3-point list.
"Man, first 3-pointer in the league," Durant said. "Congrats JH on reaching an amazing accomplishment. All the work that you put in has paid off. You inspire so many people around the world with how you play. Been a great teammate, a great friend. I love you brother, keep grinding."
Kevin Durant and James Harden were teammates from 2009 to 2012 with the OKC Thunder. They reunited for a season and a half with the Brooklyn Nets from 2021 to 2022. They went to the NBA Finals in 2012 but failed to win a championship.
Their reunion in Brooklyn didn't pan out because of many issues as well as injuries. Nevertheless, the two great players are still friends, with Durant being happy for Harden's record-breaking night.
Harden passed Ray Allen on the all-time 3-point list in the first quarter of Sunday's game against the Utah Jazz. He finished the game with a total of 2,975 3-point shots. He needs 800-plus more to catch up to Steph Curry, who's not showing signs of slowing down.
"The Beard" had 20 points, six rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and two blocks in the win over the Jazz. The Clippers improved to 7-7 for the season but are 11th in the Western Conference.
James Harden reacts to passing Ray Allen on NBA's all-time 3-point list
James Harden reacted to his history-making night by moving to the No. 2 all-time 3-point list. He humbly praised Ray Allen and all the other great shooters on the list for paving the way for him.
Harden also thanked the OKC Thunder for helping him become one of the best players of his generation.
"They set the blueprint," Harden said, according to Sports Illustrated's Joey Linn. "When I got there they had the blueprint of how to work. … Those three years really helped me in my NBA career. … From that point on, I was so comfortable and confident in myself. When I got traded to Houston, I knew I was gonna be successful. … Shoutout to KD, shoutout to Russ, and the whole Oklahoma City organization."
At the age of 35, Harden can still make history by becoming the second player to make 3,000 3-point shots. He needs 25 to reach the mark, something that could happen as early as the end of November.