Anytime you can pass both Larry Bird and Gary Payton in the record books, you’ve accomplished something significant.
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony passed both on the NBA’s all-time scoring list this week, including Payton in Saturday's loss to the Hornets. Anthony now ranks 30th all-time with 21,818 career points.
Payton never scored at anything close to Anthony’s rate, but had a long, prosperous 17-season career in which he could score and pass (in 1999-2000, he became the only player to lead the NBA in 3-pointers and assists in the same season).