Where does Carmelo Anthony rank among 11 greatest Knicks of all time?

The Knicks started to see some light at the end of the tunnel after a tumultuous decade when they signed Amar'e Stoudemire in 2010, but the arrival of Carmelo Anthony in a blockbuster trade the following year truly ushered in a new era of New York basketball.

Anthony wasn't a homegrown talent, but he was a hometown hero. Born in Brooklyn, Anthony won a championship as a freshman at Syracuse before being drafted by the Nuggets in 2003. After his relationship with Denver broke down, the Knicks and Nets became the two obvious options — and the Knicks stepped up to ensure they wouldn't be outbid.

While playoff success was fleeting during Anthony's Knicks tenure, he gave the franchise a premier talent after years searching for a face of the franchise to succeed Patrick Ewing. 

Here's a look at where Anthony ranks among Sporting News' 11 greatest Knicks players of all time.

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Where does Carmelo Anthony rank among Knicks legends?

Anthony ranks No. 7 on Sporting News' ranking of the 11 greatest players in Knicks history.

Knicks fans welcomed Anthony with open arms when he arrived in a deal with the Nuggets in 2011, and he rewarded them with three consecutive playoff appearances, including a No. 2 seed and trip to the second round in 2013. 

An All-Star in each full season with the Knicks, Anthony never averaged less than 21 points per game in New York and led the NBA in scoring in 2012-13. He finished third in MVP voting that same season and earned two All-NBA selections while with the Knicks. 

Anthony delivered a signature moment when he scored 62 points in a 2014 game against the Bobcats, setting a single-game franchise scoring record. 

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Carmelo Anthony career milestones and achievements

All-Star appearances with Knicks

• 2011 NBA All-Star
• 2012 NBA All-Star
• 2013 NBA All-Star
• 2014 NBA All-Star
• 2015 NBA All-Star
• 2016 NBA All-Star
• 2017 NBA All-Star

Anthony earned an All-Star selection in each of his six full seasons with the Knicks; he was also an All-Star in 2010-11 but wasn't traded to New York until All-Star weekend. 

Anthony was a 10-time All-Star overall, making his All-Star debut in 2007 and his final appearance as a Knick in 2017.

Hall of Fame

• Elected in 2025

Anthony was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, his first year of eligibility. 

Milestones

• 28,289 career points (10th all-time)
• Knicks single-game scoring record

Anthony scored 28,289 career points over 19 seasons, ranking 10th in NBA history. He reached 25,000 points while with the Thunder in 2018 and scored 10,186 of his points in a Knicks uniform. 

Anthony also holds the Knicks' single-game scoring record with 62 points against the Bobcats on Jan. 24, 2014. 

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All-NBA selections

• 2011-12: Third-Team All-NBA
• 2012-13: Second-Team All-NBA

Anthony earned two All-NBA selections with the Knicks, landing on the third team in 2011-12 and second team in 2012-13. He made six All-NBA appearances in his career but was never selected to the first team.

Award Voting

• 3rd in MVP voting (2012-13)

Anthony finished third in MVP voting in 2012-13, after leading the NBA in scoring with 28.7 points per game. The Knicks rallied to the No. 2 seed in the East and second round of the playoffs behind Anthony's stellar season, their best finish during his tenure. 

Playoff appearances

• 2011 (lost first round)
• 2012 (lost first round)
• 2013 (lost East semifinals)

Anthony led the Knicks to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, though New York missed the playoffs in each of his last four.

The Knicks suffered first-round losses to the Celtics and Heat in 2011 and 2012, respectively, but Anthony helped the organization win a playoff series over Boston in 2013. The Knicks were eliminated by the Pacers in the second round and never reached the conference finals during his tenure. 

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Carmelo Anthony career stats

Anthony never averaged less than 21 points per game in any season with the Knicks, leading the NBA in scoring with 28.7 points per game in 2012-13 and shooting at least 43 percent from the field in each season in New York. 

Anthony is the Knicks' seventh-leading scorer with 10,186 points scored in his time with the organization.

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Is Carmelo Anthony in the Hall of Fame?

Anthony was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2025. He will be inducted in September. 

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Carmelo Anthony best highlights

Anthony's signature moment as a Knick was his 62-point game against the Bobcats on an otherwise ordinary regular season night. The performance still stands as a single-game franchise record.

Anthony's clutch gene was questioned at times during his career, but he came through with a pair of massive 3-pointers to sink the Bulls in this regular season matchup in 2012.

Anthony proved he still had it with this game-winner against the 76ers in 2017, drilling the go-ahead shot with less than a second on the clock.

The Knicks were swept by the Celtics in Anthony's first playoff series with the franchise, but he did all he could with a 42-point, 17-rebound performance for the ages at TD Garden in Game 2.