Carmelo Anthony became the United States’ highest-scoring men’s player in the Olympics on Wednesday.
With 31 points in a 98-88 win over Australia, Anthony brought his overall total to 293 points, passing LeBron James (273 points):
The New York Knicks star entered the game in third place after leapfrogging Michael Jordan in Team USA’s 113-69 over Venezuela on Monday. Below are the top five U.S. scorers of all time at the Olympics:
Top Five Scorers for Team USA at the Olympics
Pos. Player Total Points Olympic Years
1 Carmelo Anthony 293 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016
2 LeBron James 273 2004, 2008, 2012
3 David Robinson 270 1988, 1992, 1996
4 Michael Jordan 256 1984, 1992
5 Charles Barkley 231 1992, 1996
Source: TeamUSA.org
Anthony isn’t one of the first names that comes to mind when thinking of the best national team stars in U.S. history, but the numbers speak for themselves. The 32-year-old has been a fixture for Team USA for over a decade, so his name is all over the U.S. record book:
Carmelo Anthony—Olympic Stat-Stuffer
Stat Number Rank
Games 26 1st
Points 293 1st
Made Field Goals 93 2nd
Made Three-Pointers 51 1st
Made Free Throws 46 2nd
Rebounds 101 2nd
Source: TeamUSA.org
It would be fair to label Anthony’s NBA career a relative disappointment so far in that he has failed to match the team success fellow 2003 draftees LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have enjoyed.
Looking at the bigger picture, though, only a select few match Anthony’s achievements in the game. He was a national champion in his only year with the Syracuse Orange, and he’ll be a three-time Olympic gold medalist should Team USA fulfill expectations. That’s in addition to his nine All-Star appearances, two All-NBA second-team and four All-NBA third-team honors.
Even if he never wins an NBA title, Anthony will be enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame after he retires from the game.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
