In NBA GOAT conversations, Carmelo Anthony‘s name often goes missing. However, it always finds a spot on the list of the greatest scorers of the game. The scoring ability that Melo showcased for almost two decades was undeniable.
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On Gil’s Arena podcast, the panel got into the discussion about Melo’s place on the all-time scorers list. Brandon Jennings and Kenyon Martin started the discussion by claiming that the 10-time All-Star is at least a top-five scorer in league history.
Jennings said that in his opinion, which is influenced by how he sees the game of basketball, Melo belongs in the top five bracket. Before anyone else proceeded with their rankings for the 40-year-old, Gilbert Arenas chimed in to add context to Melo’s greatness as a scorer. He said, “When it came to Melo, scoring was easy. He demanded the elite defenders.”
Speaking from his own experience, Martin said, “He’s just a professional bucket getter, man. So, the sh*t that y’all saw in the game, he was doing to people in practice. So, it was no days off with this dude. Talking about different elements of scoring and you’ve gotta throw offensive rebound in there because he gon’ beat you up on the offensive glass to get the rebound.”
Where does Carmelo Anthony rank on your list of Top Scorers? pic.twitter.com/CmtHuSn4kO
— Gilbert Arenas (@GilsArenaShow) August 25, 2024
Martin added that whenever he got to spend time around Melo, he saw the 10-time All-Star working to perfect his scoring abilities. He believes that from a work ethic standpoint as well, Melo deserves to be on the top 5 all-time scorers’ list.
Carmelo Anthony is among the top-10 point leaders of all time
After coming into the league in 2003, Melo steadily started building his reputation as an elite scorer. At the time when the league had several superstar players, the 6’7 forward managed to earn the respect of his peers as well as the fans. The major reason why he isn’t as frequently mentioned in Internet discussions like some of his peers is because Melo doesn’t have a ring on his resume.
Despite that, everything that he was able to accomplish is very rare. He came into the league as an NCAA Champion. In the NBA, he made 10 All-Star appearances, was the 2013 scoring champion, and a part of the celebrated NBA 75th Anniversary Team. With 28,289 career points, he holds the 10th spot on the list of point leaders in the NBA’s history.
In addition to incredible college and NBA careers, he is also one of the most accomplished athletes in international basketball with three Olympic gold medals and a bronze medal. He also won a gold medal in the 2007 Americas Championship.
