NBA Wordle #16
Tuesday, July 21, 2026 · already played
The answer
Spoiler for the puzzle of Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Today's puzzle is not revealed anywhere on this page.
HARDEN
James Harden
G · 2009–2027
James Harden's career
James Harden played 18 seasons between 2009 and 2027, across 6 franchises — Thunder, Rockets, Nets, 76ers, Clippers and Cavaliers. Over 1,221 regular-season games he averaged 24 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.3 assists, finishing with 29,339 career points. He was 1× MVP, 11× All-Star, 8× All-NBA and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
He entered the league in the 2009 draft, taken 3th overall, a lottery pick expected to start immediately. That makes him a product of the 2000s, and his career totals should be read against the pace and rules of that period.
Across a unusually long career of 18 seasons he was a primary scoring option at 24 points per game. He was a genuine playmaker, not just a finisher.
- Games
- 1,221
- PPG
- 24
- RPG
- 5.6
- APG
- 7.3
- Points
- 29,339
- Rebounds
- 6,809
- Assists
- 8,873
- 3PM
- 3,390
Teams
- Thunder · 2010–2012
- Rockets · 2013–2021
- Nets · 2021–2022
- 76ers · 2022–2023
- Clippers · 2024–2026
- Cavaliers · 2026
Honours
1× MVP · 11× All-Star · 8× All-NBA · 1× Olympic gold · NBA 75th Anniversary Team
About the answer
The answer was HARDEN — 6 letters, made up of 6 distinct letters and beginning with H.
The optional hint offered that day read: “PG-SG · debuted 2009”.
Why this was a fair answer
Answers are never obscure by design: the pool is every NBA All-Star who debuted in the 1969-70 season or later, plus current players carrying a real scoring role. James Harden qualifies on the first route, with 11 All-Star selections — a perennial selection rather than a one-off. He was later named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
With 6 franchises on his record, the shared-team clue was unusually generous here — a wide range of guesses would have lit it up green and pointed the wrong way as often as the right one. He never won a title, which quietly rules out a large share of the most-guessed names.
Play it yourself
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