Looking at the league’s long list of prominent scorers throughout its history, Michael Jordan has made a strong reputation for himself alongside the other greats for his scoring prowess. Interestingly, former Knicks guard Raymond Felton argued on the “Run Your Race” podcast that Carmelo Anthony’s scoring eclipsed what Jordan, Kobe Bryant and even LeBron James were able to do on the court.
Felton’s comparison of Carmelo Anthony to the likes of Michael Jordan highlighted a lack of any weak points in the 10-time NBA All-Star’s offensive game. From the mid-range jumper to getting busy at the post. The former Knicks forward could do it all with no setbacks.
Raymond Felton on Carmelo Anthony as a scorer: "I don't know nobody who's better. I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm talking about Tracy McGrady, MJ, Kobe, LeBron…The way he used to score at every level…Post-up, got footwork, midrange is impeccable, shoot the 3, athletic can… pic.twitter.com/MNK1miJbCS
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“The way he could score or how easy it is for him, I don’t know nobody who’s better,” Felton said. “I’m gonna be honest with you. I’m talking about Tracy McGrady, MJ, Kobe, LeBron, all these guys. The way he used to score at every level … post-up, got footwork, midrange is impeccable, shoot the three … whatever you wanted, he can give to you.”
In the 20 seasons that he played in the league, he averaged 22.5 points (44.7% shooting, including 35.5% from 3-point range). Back in the 2007-08 season, Carmelo Anthony had his most efficient seasons shooting the rock by averaging 25.7 points (49.2% shooting, including 35.4% from 3-point range).
Meanwhile, Michael Jordan averaged 30.1 points (49.7% shooting, including 32.7% from 3-point range) for 15 NBA seasons. The 1990-91 season saw Jordan shoot the ball at his most efficient, averaging 31.5% (53.9% shooting, including 31.2% from 3-point range).
There’s no denying that Anthony gets the advantage over Jordan when it comes to making shots beyond the arc. However, Jordan gets the last laugh when it comes to overall efficiency and dominating the mid-range area.
Be that as it may, Carmelo Anthony is a great example of a 2000s NBA player who managed to adjust well to the modern style of play with how efficient he was with his three-ball.
Carmelo Anthony talked about being mentored by Michael Jordan
Speaking on “The Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, Carmelo Anthony recalled a fond memory of being mentored by the six-time NBA champion after joining the Jordan Brand back in 2004.
“I was having a hard time with certain players in the game,” Anthony said, “certain situations in the game, not knowing how to figure out how to beat certain defenses and I went to MJ for that. I went to spend two weeks with MJ in Chicago.”
There are certain matchups in the NBA that some players would struggle with and experience some challenges in figuring out. However, Anthony made the necessary call to seek help from one of the all-time greats in league history.
In those two weeks that he spent with Michael Jordan back in Chicago, the two elite scorers would get up at 6:00 am to train and properly hone Anthony’s craft.
It’s safe to say that the morning workouts and the time spent with the Bulls legend ended up working well for Carmelo Anthony.