The 21st century is 25 years in and now is the time to look at some of the talented players who have come through and made an impact on the league. The Philadelphia 76ers have had a few players of this century step up and make their mark on the league and they have received their respect in the national media circuit.
James Harden is highlighted in this edition as he is somebody who put on a show in the City of Brotherly Love. He led the league in assists in the 2022-23 season and was instrumental in helping Joel Embiid win the MVP award that season. Both Harden and Embiid formed one of the more deadly pick-and-roll duos in the league and it’s a shame the Harden era ended so quickly in Philadelphia.
CBS Sports ranked the top 25 players of the 21st century and Harden comes in ranked No. 15 on the list:
Daryl Morey was right: Peak Harden is arguably the best offensive player ever. His ability to be the engine of an offense became obvious as soon as he got to Houston in 2012, but, when Mike D’Antoni showed up in 2016, the Rockets began something of an experiment: If surrounded by stationary shooters (and screen-setters, at least at first), how much could one team ask of one brilliant playmaker before the efficiency suffers? The answer, it turned out, was a hell of a lot: For four straight seasons, Harden had a usage rate above 33% (topping out at 39.6% in 2018-19) and a true shooting percentage between 61.3% and 62.6%. Harden has some has some duds on his playoff résumé and his ball-dominant style isn’t for everybody, but even his biggest detractors must acknowledge that, when he mastered the stepback 3, he broke conventional NBA defense — opposing coaches decided to effectively guard him from behind to prevent the stepback and, later, simply trap him in the backcourt to get the ball out of his hands.
Harden is still one of the better guards in the league as he was named an All-Star in 2025 for his work with the Los Angeles Clippers. While most will remember Harden for his miraculous work with the Houston Rockets, there will be a section of people who will remember The Beard for his short time in Philadelphia and the dominance he and Embiid were able to put on.