An absolutely incredible stat about James Harden and Ben Simmons went viral on Friday and Saturday.
Harden on Friday made his Philadelphia 76ers debut. He scored 27 points with 8 rebounds and 12 assists as Philly beat Minnesota 133-102.
In his Sixers debut, Harden showcased his outside shooting abilities and made 5 of his 7 three-point attempts.
Sixers fan Adam Aaronson took notice and tweeted an incredible stat. The 5 three-pointers Harden made in his Sixers debut were as many as Simmons made during his entire 76ers career.
James Harden has tied Ben Simmons on the Sixers all-time three-pointers made list.
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) February 26, 2022
That is truly mind-blowing.
In four career seasons with the Sixers, Simmons attempted 34 threes and made five of them (14.7 percent). He went 3/10 last season for 60 percent of the regular-season threes he made.
Outside shooting was always Simmons’ biggest shortcoming while with Philly. His shooting problems became so bad last year that he refused to shoot in the team’s playoff series loss to the Hawks. He never played for Philly again after that series.
If you’re wondering how Joel Embiid feels about the Harden for Simmons trade, we have our answer.
Photo: Feb 25, 2022; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden (1) brings the ball up court against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
