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The Cleveland Cavaliers shook things up before the trade deadline when they acquired James Harden from the Los Angeles Clippers, sending their former All-Star Darius Garland as part of the deal.
Harden, a former NBA Most Valuable Player, was added to the roster in hopes of the team making another run with their star, Donovan Mitchell, into the Eastern Conference Playoffs. Last postseason, they were the East's No. 1 seed, but Mitchell became sidelined with an injury, and the Indiana Pacers eliminated them 4-1.
On Sunday, Harden officially returned to the Cavs' lineup after being out of action for two games due to a fractured right thumb. Before the game ended, he achieved an NBA career milestone that he should continue to add to this season and in future seasons, with the potential to become an all-time great in the statistical category.
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The NBA announced that Harden officially hit his 8,532nd free throw in his career. The significance of that particular make from the line is that he moved to third all-time on the NBA's list for free throws made.
Only two players are above him on that list: Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James is second all-time with 8,810 free throws, while "The Mailman" Karl Malone is first all-time with 9,787 free throws made in his career.
Harden is in his 17th season in the NBA, having previously played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets, Houston Rockets, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Clippers. He's now part of a contending Cleveland team that is just above the Toronto Raptors for fourth overall in the Eastern Conference standings.
Harden averages 8.2 free throw attempts per game in his career, and has already attempted a total of 404 this season between his games played for the Clippers and the Cavs. He attempted 578 last season with the Clippers, so he could get even closer to LeBron's spot on the list before this latest NBA campaign is over.
The former NBA MVP has shown a knack for drawing calls and earning free throws with his on-court moves. Depending on injury situations and when LeBron decides to retire from the league, Harden could overtake him as the second all-time.
The all-time free-throw leader, Karl Malone, attempted 13,188 free throws and made 9,787. The Mailman spent most of his 19-year NBA career with the Utah Jazz, where he was known as a force inside the paint and a scoring threat from elsewhere on the floor.
Should Harden remain playing and stay healthy for several more seasons, he's likely to overtake the top spot in the significant statistical category.
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