Carmelo Anthony moved into ninth place on the all-time scoring list on Sunday.
Carmelo Anthony’s coda has continued to crescendo, as the Los Angeles Lakers forward — recently named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team — passed another legend on the all-time points leaderboard.
With a third-quarter 3-pointer Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony vaulted Moses Malone (27,409) for ninth place on the all-time scoring list. He finished with 28 points in the 121-118 win and now trails Lakers legend and Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal (28,596 points) by 1,174 points for the No. 8 spot.
Congratulations to @carmeloanthony of the @Lakers for moving into 9th all-time on the NBA’s regular season scoring list! pic.twitter.com/S0qrAXuqzJ
— NBA (@NBA) October 25, 2021
“I keep saying it’s an honor and blessing to be on that list and pass Moses (Malone) for what he did for the game of basketball,” said Anthony, the third overall pick of the 2003 draft, after Sunday’s win. “It’s hard to put it into words. That I’m still here and doing it, that’s what I’m excited about, that’ I’m here in year 19 and doing what I’m able to do. I’m still passionate about the game, and I’m still passionate about coming to work and getting better.”
Anthony, the 2012-13 NBA scoring champ (28.7 ppg), has logged eight seasons of at least 25-point averages. Even as he enters a third full season of bench play, Anthony carries a career average of 23.0 ppg on 44.7% shooting, including 35.4% from 3.
Teammate and friend LeBron James was sitting on the bench next to the 37-year-old Anthony, when a video tribute was played to honor his latest milestone and fans chanted “Melo!”
Elite company. Carmelo Anthony passes Moses Malone for 9th place on the all-time leading scoring list. pic.twitter.com/v4ga22bNA9
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) October 25, 2021
“I think it’s always sweeter when you win and even more sweeter when it just happens organically,” James said of Anthony’s milestone. “He was playing straight up flow and rhythm basketball. To move into ninth all-time on the scoring leaderboard is special. Usually, when some of my friends have these kind of achievements, I text them or call them or Facetime them and put something on social media. In this case, I got to do it in person because he’s my teammate now. I got to do it in person. That made it special for me.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
