Olajuwon: James Harden's Stats Are on Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain's Level

Suffice it to say Hakeem Olajuwon has a high opinion of James Harden.

The Hall of Fame center said Harden's statistical output should put him in the same conversation as Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, among the game's most dominant players. 

"It's very, very, very difficult to carry a team from that position, and he's proven that comfortably, reaching new heights. Look at all his statistics. You're talking about a player at the level of Michael Jordan or Wilt Chamberlain," Olajuwon said on SportsTalk790, per Alykhan Bijani of The Athletic

The numbers back up Olajuwon's claims. Harden's 36.1 points per game in 2018-19 were the seventh-most in NBA history, behind only Jordan and Chamberlain. He was averaging 34.4 points per game when the NBA halted the 2019-20 regular season, which put him on pace to become the third player in league history to average at least 34 points in two seasons—joining Jordan and Chamberlain.

It should, however, be noted that neither Chamberlain nor Jordan won championships in their highest-scoring seasons. Both players reached the greatest heights of their careers once they were surrounded by better talent and were not forced to handle such an exorbitant scoring load.

Harden may have found his match in Russell Westbrook, who at times took over as the focal point of the Rockets offense this season and provides Houston with one of the league's best one-two punches. If Harden's able to finish the job and win a ring or two, Olajuwon's point will pack more weight.