James Harden Leads NBA in Playoff Games Without Title After Al Horford’s Celtics Win

Mike Chiari@@mikechiariFeatured Columnist IVJune 18, 2024

Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

After Boston Celtics big man Al Horford finally broke through with the first NBA championship of his career after appearing in 186 playoff games, Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden is now the active leader in playoff contests played without a title.

According to Brad Botkin of CBS Sports, the all-time record still belongs to Utah Jazz legend Karl Malone with 193 postseason games without a title, but Harden is fourth on the all-time list and first among active players at 166:

1. Karl Malone: 193

2. John Stockton: 182

3. Sam Perkins: 167

4. James Harden: 166

5. Chris Paul: 149

6. Kyle Korver: 145

T7. George Hill: 144

T7. Reggie Miller: 144

T7. Charles Oakley: 144

Horford, 38, has missed the playoffs just twice during his 17-year career, which explains how he accumulated so many postseason games played before finally breaking through and having the chance to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

NBA TV @NBATVAfter 17 seasons and 186 #NBAPlayoffs games, Al Horford is officially an NBA champion 🙌 pic.twitter.com/0QcRAx6m29

There is a strong chance Horford would have broken Malone’s record next season had Boston failed to win it all this season, but he no longer has to worry about entering the record books in such an unfortunate manner.

Malone spent 19 seasons in the NBA and 18 of them were with the Jazz, who twice fell to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals. Malone also reached the Finals in his last NBA season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but they were upended by the Detroit Pistons.

It comes as little surprise that Malone’s longtime Jazz teammate, fellow Hall of Famer John Stockton, is now second on the list since the Jazz reached the playoffs every season of his 19-year career.

Given that Harden is 34 and still playing quality basketball, it is not outside the realm of possibility that he could surpass both Stockton and Malone on the all-time list of playoff games played without a championship.

During his 15-year career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Clippers, Harden has reached the playoffs all 15 times, making it as far as the NBA Finals once.

Harden is among the most accomplished offensive players of his era, having earned 10 All-Star selections, three scoring titles and an NBA MVP Award, but an NBA championship continues to elude him.

Since Harden’s career playoff numbers of 22.7 points, 6.4 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 42.5 percent from the field lag behind his career regular-season production, Harden has gained the reputation for not being a playoff performer.

Winning one title can change the entire narrative, but if that doesn’t happen, Harden may retire as the poster boy for playoff futility.