Apr 8, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; LA Clippers guard James Harden (1) reacts against the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

NBA Legend Dwyane Wade Gets Brutally Honest on Comparisons to James Harden

Originally posted on Los Angeles Clippers on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 26, 2025 9:31 PM ET

There is no debate on who the greatest shooting guard of all time is. Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all time, only challenged by LeBron James. The second-best shooting guard is clearly Kobe Bryant, but the argument after Bryant can be for a number of people.

The debate for the third-best shooting guard is generally between Dwyane Wade and James Harden. Wade has the team success, winning three championships and a Finals MVP, while Harden has the personal accolades, winning an MVP and is about to crack the top 10 in all-time scoring.

Dwyane Wade addressed the debate on a recent episode of the " Time Out" podcast on his network, saying he could've had better stats if he didn't care as much about championships.

"It's going to be a lot of arguments about 'Oh, he's better because he scored more points. Oh, he's better because I like his game better. He's better because he won more rings.' This conversation never goes anywhere... Winning a ring, it's a whole different game than being a great player and having stats. I could have more stats if I didn't care about winning a ring," Wade said.

Dwyane Wade on his career after recent debate about him vs. James Harden:

“I can have more stats if I didn’t care about winning a ring.”

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/ZSh7IHicKx
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) July 26, 2025

Wade, in his prime, was as good as any Harden season. In the 2008-09 season, he averaged 30.2 PPG, 7.5 APG, and 5.0 RPG, incredible numbers when you consider the era. The biggest difference is Harden's longevity, who averaged at least 29 PPG for five straight seasons from 2015 to 2020, partially because his Rockets teams didn't have a ton of elite talent around him.

Harden still has a chance to win a championship with this current iteration of the LA Clippers, but they have to stay healthy, and he finally has to rise up in the playoffs instead of disappearing like he did in Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets this year.

This article first appeared on Los Angeles Clippers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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