Former NBA champion ranks Rockets' James Harden as best SG over Dwyane Wade for quirky reason: "He was unguardable"

LA Clippers star James Harden is one of the best players in the league despite not being an All-Star. Most fans like to argue over Harden and Dwyane Wade about which player is better. In a recent appearance at "The OGs Show," former NBA star Jeff Teague shared who he thinks is the third-best shooting guard ever.

Many basketball enthusiasts rank Dwyane Wade as the third-greatest shooting guard of all time. His three titles with the Miami Heat solidify his position just behind legends Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant in discussions about the sport’s top shooting guards.

Now, Teague has brought up an interesting take on who he thinks should be mentioned when Jordan and Bryant's names are mentioned. The former Atlanta Hawks guard shared that Harden should be named as the third-best shooting guard solely based on how he was able to carry the Houston Rockets in his best years.

"I think James Harden is the number 3 shooting guard all-time," Teague said. "...when he was by himself in Houston, they was going to the Western Conference finals every year.

"He was unguardable, I ain't trying to disrespect D-Wade, before Bron got there [to the Heat], y'all was competing with us [the Hawks]."

Teague correctly notes that the Heat faced challenges after their 2006 championship win. The team traded Shaquille O’Neal and subsequently surrounded Wade with a less impressive roster. Similarly, Harden’s situation wasn’t ideal.

While Harden played with Dwight Howard for three seasons, Howard was frequently hampered by back issues. Consequently, Harden shouldered the majority of the workload. Notably, Harden distinguished himself by leading the league in scoring for three straight seasons, during which he averaged 33.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 7.9 assists.

---

James Harden cleared the air about joining the Rockets to become a scoring champion

James Harden will always be remembered for how he effortlessly scored over anybody during his time with the Houston Rockets. While in Houston, he did all he could to win, but it was never enough. Still, it made him a three-time scoring champion, which sparked some rumors.

There were talks about Harden wanting to join the Rockets to become a scoring champion. In December 2023, the ten-time All-Star denied those claims and gave his word regarding the matter.

"Where is the personnel for that on that team? And in the last three or four years, what have I been trying to accomplish (in terms of playmaking)?" Harden said.

It’s difficult to dispute Harden’s challenges, given the lack of support he received. Moreover, on the occasions he did have capable teammates, they often suffered injuries at critical moments when their contribution was most needed.