Oct 24, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) and forward Carmelo Anthony (7) celebrate a win after beating the Memphis Grizzlies 121-118 at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

NBA Legend Makes Controversial LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony Statement

Originally posted on San Antonio Spurs on SI
By Liam Willerup | Last updated Jul 27, 2025 6:31 PM ET

One of the most common debates in the NBA community is on which draft class is considered the greatest of all time. They have some time before they can make their case, but the 2018 NBA Draft is one of the recent classes with a strong chance to earn that title, headlined by stars like Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jalen Brunson.

A draft class that is considered at the top is the 2003 NBA Draft, featuring LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. James headlines the class as a contender for the greatest player in league history. However, back in the 2003-04 season, there was a case that Anthony was better, as NBA legend and ex-San Antonio Spur Tracy McGrady shared his thoughts.

Tracy McGrady says Lebron did NOT deserve Rookie of The Year

(h/t The Basketball Show on Youtube/@paulsbballshow) pic.twitter.com/VUEXxcDvJz
— TheTruth (@Thetruth8240) July 27, 2025

Appearing on Carmelo's podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, McGrady shared that he thought Anthony deserved the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year award over James. "And honestly, no shade to anybody, but I thought [Anthony] should've won Rookie of the Year...because you took your team to the playoffs," McGrady said.

As a rookie, Anthony averaged 21.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while helping the Denver Nuggets win 43 games that year and log a postseason berth. Looking at LeBron and what he did with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he posted averages of 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.5 rebounds while the Cavs won just 35 games.

Carmelo lost the Rookie of the Year award to LeBron, who also won Rookie of the Month every month. #SCfacts pic.twitter.com/BFNR3fFvAl
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 22, 2020

While Anthony might've had more success as a rookie than LeBron, that wasn't the case the rest of their careers. James has won four NBA Championships so far, while Anthony retired without one to his name.

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This article first appeared on San Antonio Spurs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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