James Harden speaks glowingly about Thunder following history-setting performance

Since relocating to the southwest, the OKC Thunder have found themselves in possession of some of the game's biggest and most promising stars.

From old heads like Russell Westbrook to the modern era's collection headlined by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has served as home for quite a number of top-flight ballers in the association.

Recently, one of these individuals, in particular, just managed to cement his legacy in the league's record books even further following a stand-out performance on Sunday night.

James Harden, OKC's third overall pick from the 2009 NBA Draft and current star guard of the LA Clippers, made history during his latest outing against the Utah Jazz, as he officially moved into second place on the NBA's all-time three-pointers made list with 2,975, surpassing Ray Allen (2,973) and trailing only Stephen Curry (3,782).

Though we may be 13 years removed since The Beard last donned the blue, orange, and gold threads, it's evident that he believes his three-year stint with the Thunder significantly helped shape him as a professional baller, as he shouted out the organization, as well as his two co-stars from his time in Loud City, for setting "the blueprint" on how to succeed in the NBA.

James Harden praises OKC Thunder for setting 'blueprint' for success

"They set the blueprint. When I got there they already had the blueprint of how to work, how to be a professional in this league. All I did was follow right in line, to where it's, like, every single day you work your butt off, you listen to the coaches, and you figure out how to play well every single night. Those three years really helped me in my NBA career. It just gave me a ground base for where I could go off of... Shout out to [Kevin Durant], shout out to [Russell Westbrook], and the entire Oklahoma City organization for that ground building that they gave me," Harden said.

While Harden never realized his full potential with the Thunder, as he was dealt to the Houston Rockets back in the summer of 2012 after having just won Sixth Man of the Year, he acknowledged that without the time spent in OKC, he may have never been able to become as "comfortable and confident in myself," which are attributes he correlates with his ultimate star-level of success.

Throughout his 16-year tenure in the NBA, the veteran has come across a tremendous amount of success, as he sports career averages of 24.1 points, 7.1 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on 36.3 percent shooting from distance.

He also has a personal cupboard overflowing with individual accolades that include 10 All-Star nods, seven All-NBA selections, three scoring champion awards, two assist champion awards, a league MVP, and a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team.

Now, in 2024-25, while he may technically be past his prime, he's still playing at a rather high level, as he's currently holding down the fort for the bruised and battered Clippers, guiding them to a 7-7 record through 14 games while boasting impressive all-around averages of 20.6 points, 8.5 assists, 7.9 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and just shy of a block per game.

Though LA may be reaping the rewards of James Harden's stupendous play, it is the Thunder and their well-documented ability to develop that's receiving the much-deserved credit for pulling such potential out of him in the first place.