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NBA, Basketball Herren, USA Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks Mar 5, 2023 Dallas, Texas, USA Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving 2 brings the ball up court against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Dallas American Airlines Center Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeromexMironx 20230305_jpm_an4_009022

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NBA, Basketball Herren, USA Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks Mar 5, 2023 Dallas, Texas, USA Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving 2 brings the ball up court against the Phoenix Suns during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Dallas American Airlines Center Texas USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJeromexMironx 20230305_jpm_an4_009022
Kyrie Irving has, what some may call, the deepest ?bag? in the NBA. That basically means that he?s a ?magician? on the court with the biggest ‘bag’ of tricks. Widely considered one of the most skilled ball-handlers of all time, Irving has always stolen the spotlight with his flashy dribbling and almost ‘impossible-looking’ finishes.
However, in a recent interview, a New York Knicks legend unravels the difference between being skilled and truly great.
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Difference Between Being Skilled and True Greatness
In an interview with Complex, Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony talked about life after basketball, his legacy, ring culture, and the skill of NBA players today. To explain the difference between a skilled NBA player and a truly great NBA player, Melo gave the example of Kyrie Irving and Nikola Jokic.
The Knicks legend explained, ?I believe there’s a difference because a guy like Kyrie can be top-five in skill but not a top-five player but others might say Giannis [Antetokounmpo] can’t be a top-three player because of skill.?
“There’s a big difference. Kyrie may be the most skilled player in the NBA. Him and Jokic,”?admitted the 10-time All-Star.

USA Today via Reuters
Feb 10, 2023; Sacramento, California, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (2) dribbles between Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter (9) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) in the second quarter at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Elaborating on the difference between the most skilled and the greatest, Carmelo Anthony continued, “Speaking on Kyrie, a lot of people may say he’s not the best player but he’s the most skilled. The best player comes with different things… You got to be one out of 400. Like you put that in perspective. and that’s very hard, very difficult.?
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However, apart from the eight All-Star selections, Kyrie is also an NBA legend in his own way. He is a 2016 NBA champion who played a pivotal role in the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ iconic first title. Though Melo couldn’t secure a championship during his time in the league, he is a lock for the Hall of Fame.
Carmelo Anthony?s NBA journey?
After entering the league in 2003, Carmelo Anthony has performed in almost every single game to the best of his capabilities.
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Despite never having won an NBA championship, he has single-handedly influenced and changed (positively) the basketball culture of not one but two franchises. As a rookie, he revived the Denver Nuggets? lost glory and led them to playoffs every single year from 2004-2010. Considering that the Nuggets before 2004 hadn?t been to the playoffs for 8 consecutive seasons, this was a big achievement.?
During his time in New York, he became the only player to have ever scored a career-high of 62 points. By setting a Knicks’ single-game scoring record and a Madison Square Garden single-game scoring record, he fulfilled the wish of many Knicks fans who finally had an NBA All-Star on their team.
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Bildnummer: 12153216 Datum: 19.12.2012 Copyright: imago/UPI Photo
New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony reacts after hitting a 3-point shot in the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden in New York City on December 19, 2012. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY NYP20121219104; Basketball USA NBA x0x xub 2012 quer premiumd
Image number 12153216 date 19 12 2012 Copyright imago UPI Photo New York Knicks Carmelo Anthony reacts After Hitting A 3 Point Shot in The Second Quarter Against The Brooklyn Nets AT Madison Square Garden in New York City ON December 19 2012 PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY Basketball USA NBA x0x xub 2012 horizontal premiumd
The recently retired NBA superstar is a 10x NBA All-Star, who is one of the most feared scorers of all time. Ranked at 9th overall on the leaderboard of ?Most Points Scored?, Carmelo Anthony is undoubtedly one of the NBA?s greats. If he put the ball behind his head, you better send a double-team!
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