Former NBA player Raymond Felton made the bold claim that 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony was a better pure scorer than legendary players like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Michael Jordan, and Tracy McGrady.
« The way he could just put the ball in the basket was unreal. It came so effortlessly to him, » Felton said in a recent interview. « Honestly, I don’t know if there’s anyone better, I really don’t. »
Felton played with Anthony on the New York Knicks and witnessed firsthand the scoring prowess that made Melo one of the most feared offensive threats of his era.
« I mean, you’re talking about guys like Tracy McGrady, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James – all those dudes, » Felton continued. « And Carmelo was just as good, if not better, at putting the ball in the hoop. »
The former point guard was particularly impressed by Anthony’s versatility as a scorer. « He could do it at every level – midrange, three-pointers, in the post, driving to the rim. I’ve never seen anybody as skilled and efficient as Carmelo was when it came to getting buckets. »
Felton acknowledged the lofty company he was putting his former teammate in, but stood firmly by his assessment. « I know those are all-time greats, iconic players. But Carmelo was just special, man. His scoring ability was on another level. »
The former Knicks backcourt duo played together from 2011 to 2014, during which time Anthony established himself as one of the league’s premier scorers. He led the NBA in scoring in 2013 and finished his career averaging over 22 points per game.
« Melo pouvait aller pour 30 ou 40 n’importe quel soir, et cela n’a jamais semblé forcé ou difficile pour lui », se souvient Felton. « Il avait cette façon facile de tirer et de donner l’impression que c’était facile. »
Alors que des joueurs comme Jordan, Bryant et James sont largement considérés comme l’étalon-or pour le scoring de la NBA, Felton pense qu’Anthony mérite d’être dans le même air raréfié.
« Ces gars-là sont des grands de tous les temps, sans aucun doute. Mais quand il s’agit de marquer, je ne sais pas si quelqu’un était meilleur que Carmelo Anthony », a affirmé Felton. « Il était juste un seau inarrêtable. »
L’évaluation audacieuse de l’ancien meneur de jeu sur les prouesses de marqueur d’Anthony ne manquera pas de susciter un débat parmi les fans et les analystes de la NBA. Mais pour ceux qui ont été témoins de la domination offensive de Carmelo, l’affirmation de Felton n’est peut-être pas aussi farfelue qu’il n’y paraît.
