Carmelo Anthony Passes 20,000-Career-Point Mark vs. Charlotte Hornets

With his first three points against the Charlotte Hornets Sunday night, Carmelo Anthony hit yet another scoring milestone, surpassing the 20,000-point mark.

The team's official Twitter feed congratulated him:

While he has been the target of much criticism throughout his career, Anthony's ability as a scorer should never be questioned. He is the 40th player in NBA history to tally 20,000 points, and at just 30 years old, there's a very strong chance he'll be in the top 10 by the time he retires.

The NBA.com Stats Twitter account puts how impressive his accomplishment truly is into perspective:

Knicks coach Derek Fisher put it simply:

To reach Wilt Chamberlain, who is currently fifth on the all-time scoring list at 31,419, he needs another 11,419 points. That would take approximately another six seasons of 1,900 points, which he has reached in every non-lockout campaign since 2009.

Signed to a massive five-year deal in the summer, Anthony has shown very little evidence of slowing down. The New York Daily News' Manish Mehta and Basketball Insiders' Nate Duncan praised him after he poured in 25 during Thursday's upset win over the Cleveland Cavaliers:

Anthony's previous season—his 12th in the NBA—was close to his most efficient. He shot a career-high 40.2 percent from the beyond the arc, while his effective field-goal percentage (50.3) was the second-best mark of his career.

As Father Time creeps in, Anthony's athleticism and quickness will wane. But as someone who can score with his back to the basket, can score from mid-range and has a consistently improving outside touch, he's going to keep racking up points at a high rate well into his 30s.

Of course, that's all speculation for the future. For now, 'Melo can celebrate another stellar accomplishment for his still-growing resume.