Carmelo Anthony is in good company as the 10th all-time scorer in the NBA with 27,318 career points.
On Monday night, the Trail Blazers star passed Hall of Famer Alvin Hayes for a 123–114 loss to the Hawks as they finished second on the league’s all-time scoring list.
Anthony knocked down an isolated 3-pointer on the right wing and drew a foul. He celebrated with a signature of his shuffle on the defense, hitting the edge of his head with three fingers, and raising his arms in the air. Anthony, who finished the night with 14 points, recorded 27,313 points behind Hayes’ career-high 27 points in Monday’s game.
After the game, Portland coach Terry Stotts presented Anthony with a game ball while in the locker room with his teammates. Stotts called the accolade “big time” and asked if Anthony would make a speech.
“A few years ago I don’t think I was going to be in the moment,” Anthony said. “I was out of the league for whatever reason. I persevered, I stood strong. I lived up to myself, and now I’m here in the top 10.”
This season, Anthony finished 18th in the league, surpassing Tim Duncan, Dominic Wilkins, Oscar Robertson and Hakeem Olajuwon in scoring.
“I knew the moment. I didn’t know the other moments, “Anthony said after the game ESPN
. “I didn’t know 15 and 13 and 11, but 10 is something I knew. I’ve felt it. I felt that it would come into play. I wouldn’t force it to do it quickly or it or anything. Wanted; I wanted to let the game come to me and be naturally. I felt good today, and as you can see, the shot was falling quickly and I got off to a great start. That made it easier. I could breathe and relax. ”
Anthony’s 14-year-old son Qian celebrated the milestone on Instagram stories with a screen grab of his father’s all-time scoring list of the new top 10 spots. He wrote “washed” above the photo – apparently clinging to critics who labeled him a 10-time All-Star when he was out of the league.
Anthony was cut by the Rockets after the opening 10 games of the 2018–19 season, leaving his NBA future hanging in the balance. He continued to work out and be prepared, and Anthony signed with Portland in November 2019, going on to start 58 games last season. Now as the sixth man of the Trail Blazers, Anthony recorded an average of 13.6 points in his bench role.
Anthony won the scoring title with the Knicks in 2012–13, when he averaged 28.7 points per game. His point distribution, according to ESPN, is 13,970 in eight seasons with Nougat; 10,186 in seven seasons with the Knicks; 1,261 in a season with the Thunder; 134 with the Rockets, and 1,767 in two seasons with the Blazers.
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