Kareem Abdul-Jabbar vs. James Harden: Career Scoring Comparison

We break down the scoring legacies of James Harden and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to determine who has the better numbers. Here you can compare their career totals, points per game, games of 40+ points, 50+, etc. and their year-by-year scoring averages side by side, both in the Regular Season and Playoffs.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Harden are among the most prolific scorers in NBA history—combining for an staggering season total of 66,074 points—and they also have two of the all-time best scoring averages. Here we compare all their scoring stats.

By taking a look at their career numbers for points, the first conclusion one can arrive at is that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has better scoring stats than James Harden in averages and totals, both in the regular season and Playoffs. However, we won't stop there and we'll go into detail to analyze what these statistics are made up of, from how many games they had in each threshold (30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc.) to their season-by-season scoring averages.

On this page we compare:

Who has better scoring stats? Career Numbers
Games of 30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc
Shooting Stats
Points Year by Year

Career Numbers
Who has the better scoring stats?

Points in the Regular Season

In his 20 NBA regular seasons played, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar averages 0.5 points more than James Harden in his 16 seasons (24.6 points against 24.1), and he also scored a total of 10,700 points more (38,387 vs. 27,687).

Points Per Game

Seasons
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24.6
+0.5
20
James Harden 24.1
16

Total Points

Seasons
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
+10,700
20
James Harden 27,687
16

Scoring Titles

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2
Scoring leaderScoring leader
James Harden 3
Scoring leaderScoring leaderScoring leader
+1

Points in the Playoffs

Similar to what happens in the regular season, in the NBA postseason Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a better career point average than James Harden (+1.8 points per game) and he also scored more points (+1,867).

Points Per Game

Playoffs
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24.3
+1.8
18
James Harden 22.5
16

Total Points

Playoffs
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 5,762
+1,867
18
James Harden 3,895
16

Points by Thresholds

Regular Season

60+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 0
James Harden 4
+4

50+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10
James Harden 24
+14

40+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 70
James Harden 105
+35

30+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 429
+99
James Harden 330

20+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1,122
+386
James Harden 736

10+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1,509
+456
James Harden 1,053

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1,559
+409
James Harden 1,150

0 Point Games (games without points)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1
James Harden 1

Playoffs

40+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 9
James Harden 11
+2

30+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 75
+26
James Harden 49

20+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 169
+68
James Harden 101

10+ Point Games

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 223
+68
James Harden 155

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 237
+67
James Harden 170

0 Point Games (games without points)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 0
James Harden 3
+3

Career Shooting Stats Comparison

more >>

Regular Season

Stats Per Game

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24.6 10.2 18.1 55.9 * 0.0 * 0.0 * 5.6 4.3 6.0 72.1 20 1,560
difference:+0.5+3.1+1.9+12.0+2.8+7.6+30.7+2.8+2.2+14.0+4+409
James Harden 24.1 7.1 16.2 43.9 2.8 7.6 36.3 7.1 8.2 86.1 16 1,151

Total Stats

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387 15,837 28,307 55.9 * 1 * 18 * 5.6 6,712 9,304 72.1 20 1,560
difference:+10,700+7,663+9,697+12.0+3,174+8,732+30.7+1,452+174+14.0+4+409
James Harden 27,687 8,174 18,610 43.9 3,175 8,750 36.3 8,164 9,478 86.1 16 1,151

Notes: Three-point shots were implemented in 1979-80.
* = some years in his career didn't have the stat.

Playoffs

Stats Per Game

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24.3 9.9 18.7 53.3 * 0.0 * 0.0 * 0.0 4.4 6.0 74.0 18 237
difference:+1.8+3.1+2.7+10.8+2.5+7.4+34.0+2.0+1.4+12.9+2+64
James Harden 22.5 6.8 16.0 42.5 2.5 7.4 34.0 6.4 7.4 86.9 16 173

Total Stats

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 5,762 2,356 4,422 53.3 * 0 * 4 * 0.0 1,050 1,419 74.0 18 237
difference:+1,867+1,183+1,662+10.8+434+1,271+34.0+65+136+12.9+2+64
James Harden 3,895 1,173 2,760 42.5 434 1,275 34.0 1,115 1,283 86.9 16 173

Year by Year Points Average Comparison

Scoring leader= NBA Scoring Leader
NBA Champion = NBA Champion

Regular Season

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28.8
+18.9
197082
James Harden 9.9
201076

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Scoring leader31.7
+19.5
1971NBA Champion82
James Harden 12.2
201182

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Scoring leader34.8
+18.0
197281
James Harden 16.8
201262

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30.2
+4.3
197376
James Harden 25.9
201378

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27.0
+1.6
197481
James Harden 25.4
201473

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 30.0
+2.6
197565
James Harden 27.4
201581

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27.7
197682
James Harden 29.0
+1.3
201682

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26.2
197782
James Harden 29.1
+2.9
201781

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25.8
197862
James Harden Scoring leader30.4
+4.6
201872

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23.8
197980
James Harden Scoring leader36.1
+12.3
201978

Season 11

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 24.8
1980NBA Champion82
James Harden Scoring leader34.3
+9.5
202068

Season 12

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26.2
+1.6
198180
James Harden 24.6
202144

Season 13

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23.9
1982NBA Champion76
James Harden 24.6
+0.7
202144

Season 14

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 21.8
198379
James Harden 22.0
+0.2
202265

Season 15

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 21.5
+0.5
198480
James Harden 21.0
202358

Season 16

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 22.0
+5.4
1985NBA Champion79
James Harden 16.6
202472

Season 17

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23.4
+0.6
198679
James Harden 22.8
202579

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's additional seasons:

* Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played 3 seasons more than James Harden in the NBA.

In those years—his seasons 18 to 20, from 1987 to 1989—he averaged 14.1 points in a total of 232 regular season games. During that period, his highest average was 17.5 ppg and his lowest 10.1.

Playoffs

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 35.2
+27.5
197010
James Harden 7.7
20106

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26.6
+13.6
1971NBA Champion14
James Harden 13.0
201117

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28.7
+12.4
197211
James Harden 16.3
201220

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 22.8
19736
James Harden 26.3
+3.5
20136

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 32.2
+5.4
197416
James Harden 26.8
20146

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -
DNP
19750
James Harden 27.2
+27.2
201517

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar -
DNP
19760
James Harden 26.6
+26.6
20165

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 34.6
+6.1
197711
James Harden 28.5
201711

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27.0
19783
James Harden 28.6
+1.6
201817

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 28.5
19798
James Harden 31.6
+3.1
201911

Season 11

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 31.9
+2.3
1980NBA Champion15
James Harden 29.6
202012

Season 12

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 26.7
+6.5
19813
James Harden 20.2
20219

Season 13

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 20.4
+0.2
1982NBA Champion14
James Harden 20.2
20219

Season 14

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 27.1
+8.5
198315
James Harden 18.6
202212

Season 15

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 23.9
+3.6
198421
James Harden 20.3
202311

Season 16

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 21.9
+0.7
1985NBA Champion19
James Harden 21.2
20246

Season 17

Points per gameYearGames
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 25.9
+7.2
198614
James Harden 18.7
20257

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's additional Playoffs:

* During his 3 additional NBA seasons, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played in 3 Playoffs and won two NBA Championships. In those postseasons he averaged 14.9 points in a total of 57 games. His highest playoff average during that period was 19.2 ppg and his lowest 11.1.

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