NBA

James Harden reveals secret to dominating NBA stats, stuns Clippers coach Tyronn Lue

The Los Angeles Clippers triumphed over the Washington Wizards, fueled by James Harden's standout triple-double performance, which left coach Tyronn Lue in awe.
Following the victory, the guard revealed one of his secrets to excelling in the NBA.

James Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles the ball in the third quarter against Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 27, 2024 in San Francisco, California.
Ā© Kavin Mistry/Getty ImagesJames Harden #1 of the Los Angeles Clippers dribbles the ball in the third quarter against Kevon Looney #5 of the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on October 27, 2024 in San Francisco, California.

In a dominant performance on Thursday night, the Los Angeles Clippers secured a 110-93 victory over the Washington Wizards, powered by James Harden’s remarkable triple-double. After the game, the 35-year-old NBA icon shared insights into his approach to excelling in various facets of the game, leaving Clippers coach Tyronn Lue in awe.

Harden posted 17 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in the Clippers’ win, marking his 79th career triple-double since debuting with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2009 until his current days in Los Angeles.

ā€œTo take a guy who’s a dominating scorer who can score 50, 60 points and then, now you turn him into a guy who can get you 13, 14 assists,ā€ said Lue during his postgame press conference, praising Harden’s versatility.

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But it was the guard’s rebounding, a less expected part of his game, that particularly impressed Lue. ā€œRebounding the basketball, I don’t know how he does it by jumping this high on the floor. But somehow he gets it done,ā€ Tyronn remarked, acknowledging a dimension of Harden’s game that many might overlook.

Lue continued to express admiration for Harden’s all-around contributions. ā€œIt doesn’t surprise me by him climbing the charts as far as triple-doubles. The rebounding a little bit, but the assists and points,ā€ he said. ā€œHe’s just, every time he’s getting better and better at certain things.ā€

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Lue and Harden looking at the team

James Harden #1 holds back LA Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue during their game against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on February 14, 2024 in San Francisco, California.

Harden’s secret to grabbing rebounds

After hearing about Tyronn Lue’s remarks on his rebounding skills, Harden revealed his secret to consistently grabbing boards despite his 6’5ā€ frame. ā€œIt’s not about how high you jump,ā€ he explained. ā€œYou’ve got to track the ball.ā€

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The Clippers guard, who has always found ways to impact the game in unique ways, added, ā€œI’ve been doing it for a long time. I haven’t been the highest jumping guy my whole life, so figuring out ways to impact the game and I figure it out. I don’t know.ā€

Harden’s NBA milestone

With his stellar performance, Harden surpassed NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, moving into eighth place for the most triple-doubles in NBA history with 79. He now trails Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who holds seventh place with 80.

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ā€œScoring is one thing, but rebounding the basketball, facilitating is another thing…It means a lot, just impacting the games in other ways,ā€ Harden said of his multifaceted contributions. ā€œYou don’t got to be the best player on the court by just scoring the basketball every single night. Obviously that helps, but there’s other ways to impact games. You’ve seen it throughout the course of history of the NBA. I’m just happy to be a part of one of those on the list.ā€

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