Carmelo Anthony includes Kevin Durant and Tracy McGrady among “purest hoopers” in the NBA
Not every NBA basketball player fits the mold of a ‘pure hooper.’ The term, according to NBA legend Carmelo Anthony describes a baller who can hope at any court, on any basket, under any set of rules. Apparently, there are only five “pure hoopers” around right now…
“You can put them anywhere in the world, any court, any ball, any basket and they’ll get to it,” said Anthony in a chat with Overtime. “Allen Iverson is a pure hooper, Tracy McGrady, JR Smith, Lou Will, Jamal Crawford, KD and myself.”
Allen Iverson is one of the greatest scorers in modern NBA history. At just 6-0″, Iverson made up for his short stature with his quick feet, nimble dribble, and effective jump shot. As an 11x All-Star, 7x All-NBA player, and 26.7 point-per-game scorer, he is no doubt a legend in the league and someone who can get a bucket under any circumstances.
Tracy McGrady is another iconic scorer, and while he was unable to win a championship in his time he did the best with what he had. At his peak, he averaged 32.1 points per game for the Orlando Magic, and his reputation as a scorer survived well beyond his career was over.
Interestingly, Carmelo also named a trio of sixth men on his list. While not superstars by any means, both Lou Williams and Jamal Crawford knew how to get point buckets off the bench and they made millions for themselves leading the second unit. Of course, Melo also named his former teammate J.R. Smith in this group, who was renowned for his shooting ability.
Durant is also another “pure hooper” on Melo’s list and it makes sense why. Durant is, arguably, the greatest scorer of this generation and there isn’t a way, or a method, in which he cannot put points on the board.
Carmelo Anthony Is An Underrated Legend
Perhaps the greatest example of a “pure hooper” is Carmelo Anthony himself. While not as well-rounded as some other wings of his time, Melo was an expert-level marksman and he was especially gifted at making tough mid-range shots.
As a 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA player, and 1x scoring champ, Carmelo was a unique type of talent who carried a certain star-level charm to his game that often goes underappreciated today.
Anthony, of course, is out of the league entirely now but nobody will forget his run with the New York Knicks or the amazing show he gave the city of New York with his artful offensive capabilities.
