“Just the NBA, it would be a challenge”–Stephen A. Smith has raised serious questions about Carmelo Anthony’s Hall of Fame eligibility. But don’t get him wrong, the ESPN analyst has immense respect for Melo as a player and a person. In fact, includes Anthony’s achievements beyond the NBA—college and international stage—and even Smith does not doubt that the former New York Knicks star is a 24-karat HOF product. Syracuse’s lone NCAA championship, and 3 gold medals (yes we all want to forget that bronze) for Team USA would scream in agreement. But when it comes to just his NBA legacy, Smith has his own set of doubts regarding Melo.

Fun fact, SAS’ issue is not even about what has been the biggest missing piece on Anthony’s NBA resume: no championships to his name. Smith pointed out to the fact that the 10x All-Star has not even appeared in a single NBA Finals series, let alone win one. “Melo never got there once [Finals]. That is a huge blemish on the career of Anthony; it is the only blemish,” Smith said. Now, this seems to be a ringing issue when you first hear this. But does that mean Melo’s NBA career alone cannot stand for the Hall of Fame induction? Let’s have a closer look.

Carmelo Anthony’s NBA career

Let’s address the obvious elephant in the room right away. Despite being one of the most lethal scorers in the league’s history, Carmelo Anthony has never won a championship ring. He got very close to it when he made the Western Conference Finals with the Denver Nuggets in 2009, but let’s just say it was never in the stars.

Apart from the missing rings, however, Melo has an NBA stellar resume. This includes his 10 NBA All-Star appearances. A number that could have been higher had it not been for the more competitive talent pool of the West and part blame to fan voting for not giving Rookie of the Year runner-up due recognition until season 2007 despite him debuting in season 2004.

Apart from his 10x All-Star appearances, however, is the scoring proficiency of the former Knicks star. Yep, he averaged in the range of 20-29 points per game for 14 consecutive seasons with a remarkable field goal percentage of 45.2. Yes, Carmelo Anthony was a pure scorer with the ability to score from almost anywhere on the court.

In fact, former NBA star Raymond Felton even stated Anthony to be a better scorer than the likes of LeBron James and Michael Jordan. He, however, was not referring to the comparison of stats but Melo’s scoring abilities.

“Post up, got footwork, midrange is impeccable. Shoot the three. Athletic, good dunk on. Can get to the basket. Handles like a point guard… I’m just saying everything. Like, whatever you want it… He can do it,” Felton said. A bold claim? Yes, but only proves how efficient Anthony was at scoring, even if not better than His Airness.

And it’s not as if his scoring figures and 10 All-Star appearances are all the accolades that Carmelo Anthony earned throughout his career in the league. He also made it to the All-NBA Second Team twice and the All-NBA Third Team 4 times, while earning the 2003 scoring champion title through the way. The only thing missing? A championship ring. But how significant is that for Hall of Fame eligibility? Let’s have a closer look.

Is it all about the rings: Players who impressed less than Melo but entered HOF

If anyone questions why Carmelo Anthony deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, Calvin Murphy already being in the most prestigious group of NBA stars is the answer. Murphy, just like Melo, was a proficient scorer. No doubts there. He closed his NBA career at 17.9 points per game but barely contributed in the department of assists (except for two seasons) or rebounds.

But when it comes to accolades, he falls way shorter than even the former NY Knicks star. Just like Melo, Murphy had no championship to his name. Not even during his college career. More noticeable, however, is the fact he made just 1 All-Star appearance as compared to Anthony’s 10. Apart from this, Anthony also had multiple NBA All-Team appearances, while Murphy had none.

So if Murphy can find his place in HOF with that resume, Carmelo Anthony definitely should.

As for the rings, the big question is: does it all come down to it when considering the NBA legacy? In the end, even Michael Jordan needed a team that could back his talent to win championships. In fact, Jordan himself admitted he could not have won without Scottie Pippen. The biggest favor, however, both these players did was for Toni Kukoc.

The former Chicago Bulls star made it to the Hall of Fame in 2017. Only highlight on his resume for personal effort? The 1995-96 Sixth Man of the Year award. But, yes, he did have 3 championships. Thanks to his time in the Chicago Bulls. Now, it’s not as if he did not make significant contributions. But just 3 instances of him crossing 15 ppg through a season with a negligible contribution to the rebounding or assist department does not exactly scream exceptional.

And no, we do not want to undermine the contributions or achievements of these stars, but the intent is to reflect that Carmelo Anthony has a far better NBA legacy than multiple Hall of Famers. Even without a ring or appearance in the NBA Finals to his name.