James Harden Passes Jerry West in NBA Record Books During Game 4
The Cleveland Cavaliers entered Memorial Day with a 3-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Knicks.
The Cavs lost each of the first three games by double digits, and Game 4 didn't start off well, either.
The Knicks jumped out to a 20-point lead in the second quarter, and they then led by 29 points with six minutes left in the first half.
There wasn't much for Cavs fans to be excited about, although the NBA announced that star guard James Harden moved up the record books in the first half.
Harden is now 7th all-time in made free throws, as he passed NBA Hall of Famer Jerry West.
Here is the top 10 all-time.
- LeBron James: 1,914
- Michael Jordan: 1,463
- Kobe Bryant: 1,320
- Karl Malone: 1,269
- Kevin Durant: 1,259
- Tim Duncan: 1,217
- James Harden: 1,214
- Jerry West: 1,213
- Shaquille O'Neal: 1,168
- Dirk Nowitzki: 1,074
With Harden set to play the 2026-27 NBA season, he is more than in range to move even higher on this list and get into the top five.
Harden has shot just 84% from the free-throw line since coming over to Cleveland at the trade deadline and just 82% in the postseason entering Game 4.
So, win or lose, Harden continues to move up the record books and puts his name next to plenty of legends.
James Harden's Future With Cavs is Unclear
The Cavs sent Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick to the Clippers in exchange for Harden at the deadline.
At times, it worked out, although the playoff run has been a mixed bag, largely because of Harden's lack of effort on the defensive end.
Still, Cleveland likely wants to keep Harden around, as long as the two sides can make things work financially.
Harden has a player option for next season worth just north of $42 million, so it seems likely that both sides want him to return, although changes could be in store given the way things went during the postseason.
Related: Draymond Green Blasts Cleveland Cavaliers for Lack of Leadership
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 6:08 PM.