Tracy McGrady Says Carmelo Anthony Should Have Been 2004 NBA ROY Over LeBron James

Hall of Fame shooting guard Tracy McGrady weighed in on the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year race between Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.

"No shade to anybody, but I thought [Melo] should have run rookie of the year," McGrady said during a Thursday appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, a Wave original (18:00 mark). "You should have won that s--t – you took your team to the playoff."

"That is tremendous an accomplishment for a rookie to come in, have that spotlight on him like that and to get slighted on rookie of the year, I ain't like that at all," he added.

Anthony and James entered the league as two of the top three selections in the 2003 NBA draft, immediately making their presence felt with their respective teams.

James, the No. 1 overall pick, averaged 20.9 points, 5.9 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game on 41.7/29.0/75.4 shooting splits as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. He became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 40-point game in March 2004.

Cleveland finished with a 35-47 record in James' rookie year, representing an improvement upon its 17-65 finish in the season before he was selected.

Anthony showcased his volume scoring ability with the Denver Nuggets, averaging 21.0 points and 6.1 rebounds to go along with 2.8 assists per game. He shot 42.6 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from three-point territory.

The Nuggets ended up making the playoffs with a 43-39 record, ultimately falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. Still, it was an impressive accomplishment for a Denver squad that had a first-year player as its leading scorer.

In the end, James took home Rookie of the Year honors after receiving 508 points from voting compared to 430 points for Anthony.

McGrady believes that Anthony deserved the award instead, though.