James Harden
2009–10 to 2025–26 · 17 seasons · active
NBA player comparison
James Harden vs. Kobe Bryant: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
James Harden ranks higher in career impact so far
Kobe Bryant
1996–97 to 2015–16 · 20 seasons
Impact comparison
#20LeadsCareer Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#33
+10.3LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+8.0
+9.0LeadsBest 5 average impact+6.6
1.3LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better3.7
2LeadsSeasons ranked No. 10
+6,560 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+6,096 pts
Career Impact Rank places James Harden #20 and Kobe Bryant #33. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedJames Harden2.747 · No. 20Kobe Bryant4.473 · No. 33
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
James Harden
2.747 composite · No. 20 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 12017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 1.333 | 50% | 0.667 |
| Best 5No. 12017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 2.400 | 30% | 0.720 |
| Best 10No. 12017–18Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 12018–19Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 22019–20Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42014–15Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42016–17Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62015–16Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 92020–21No. 142013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 202022–23 | 6.800 | 20% | 1.360 |
0.667 + 0.720 + 1.360= 2.747
Kobe Bryant
4.473 composite · No. 33 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 32002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 3.667 | 50% | 1.833 |
| Best 5No. 32002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 4.200 | 30% | 1.260 |
| Best 10No. 32002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 32005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52008–09Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 52010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 82006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 111999–00Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112012–13Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 6.900 | 20% | 1.380 |
1.833 + 1.260 + 1.380= 4.473
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank | #20Better result for this metric. | #33 |
| Best 3 average finish | 1.3Better result for this metric. | 3.7 |
| Best 5 average finish | 2.4Better result for this metric. | 4.2 |
| Best 10 average finish | 6.8Better result for this metric. | 6.9 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #11Better result for this metric. | #21 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +10.3Better result for this metric. | +8.0 |
| Best 3 average impact | +9.5Better result for this metric. | +7.1 |
| Best 5 average impact | +9.0Better result for this metric. | +6.6 |
| Best 10 average impact | +7.2Better result for this metric. | +5.8 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +6,560 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +6,096 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 2Better result for this metric. | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 5 | 5 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 8Better result for this metric. | 7 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,221 | 1,346 |
| Minutes | 42,449 | 48,637 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks the better result for a metric, including lower turnover rates. Workload and shot-selection measures stay neutral. These rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 60.8%Better result for this metric. | 55.0% |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 61.2%Better result for this metric. | 55.9% |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 43.9% | 44.7%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 36.4%Better result for this metric. | 32.9% |
| Free-throw percentage | 86.3%Better result for this metric. | 83.7% |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 38.2%Better result for this metric. | 24.9% |
| Assists per game | 7.3Better result for this metric. | 4.7 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 15.7% | 11.2%Better result for this metric. |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 9.3%Better result for this metric. | 8.4% |
| Rebounds per game | 5.6Better result for this metric. | 5.2 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.2% | 2.2% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.5%Better result for this metric. | 1.0% |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | James Harden | Kobe Bryant |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 24.0 | 25.0Better result for this metric. |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Career to date. At least one player is active. Every total below stops after the latest completed season in this data; nothing is projected.
Regular Season Impact
James Harden ranks higher in career impact so far.
James HardenMetricKobe Bryant
#20LeadsCareer Impact Rank to datePeak-weighted regular-season rank#33
+10.3LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+8.0
+9.0LeadsBest 5 average impact+6.6
+6,560 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+6,096 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
The advantages are split across the available measures.
James HardenMetricKobe Bryant
974LeadsListed-team regular-season wins943
61.1%LeadsListed-team winning percentage59.2%
12Leads50-win team seasons11
160-win team seasons3Leads
18LeadsPlayoff team seasons16
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
The advantages are split across the available measures.
James HardenMetricKobe Bryant
17LeadsPlayoff appearances15
191Playoff games220Leads
99Team playoff wins137Leads
1Finals appearances7Leads
0Championships5Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
Kobe Bryant leads every available measure below.
James HardenMetricKobe Bryant
11All-Star18Leads
1MVP1
8All-NBA15Leads
0All-Defense12Leads
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09. Active-career totals are results to date through the latest completed season in the source.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
James HardenKobe BryantPeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Career to date. Active careers stop at the latest completed season; no future seasons are projected.
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Striped bars mark seasons with fewer than 40 games. A dashed mark means that player had no season at the aligned point.
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
James HardenNBA seasonKobe Bryant
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
Season 15
Season 16
Season 17
No season
Season 18No season
Season 19Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.