Former NBA player dubs Nuggets legend the greatest scorer of all time

The NBA has seen a lot of great players and great scorers over the years, and many of the all-time greats are still playing at a high level. Many have weighed in over the years on who may be the best scorer to ever play, and that became a recent podcast topic for the Run Your Race pod.

The pod is hosted by former NBA guard Raymond Felton, who played 14 seasons in the NBA for seven different teams, including a short stint with the Denver Nuggets. Felton retired in 2019 and now hosts the Run Your Race podcast.

On a recent episode, the topic of the greatest scorer ever came up, and Felton said he believes that honor belongs to former Nugget, and soon-to-be Hall of Famer, Carmelo Anthony. There’s no doubt that Anthony belongs in the discussion, but Felton has him at the top of the list, even listing over specific players like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant.

Carmelo Anthony the GOAT

It’s high praise coming from a former pro, a long-time NBAer, and a guy who has played with and against many of the guys on the shortlist for greatest scorer ever. But Felton backed up his take by pointing to Melo’s insane ability to score in a dominant fashion from all three levels.

He explained how Melo could crush people by burying threes, with his lethal midrange game, or by posting people up around the basket. It’s an interesting argument and one that will certainly be controversial. But it’s not crazy.

Carmelo’s career averages took a slight hit over the last few seasons of his career when he was coming off the bench and playing a smaller role in his twilight days. But Melo ended up in the top 10 for all-time points and won the scoring title in the 2012-13 season with 28.7 points per game.

He came into the league and averaged 21 points per game as a rookie, starting a run of 14 straight seasons where he would score at least 20 points per game. There’s no doubt Melo was an incredible player and an incredible scorer. 

A lot gets lost in the shuffle, especially in Denver where he didn’t leave on the best terms. But it’s nice to hear him get his flowers, especially from a former player. Check out the full podcast here.