NBA always had an interesting competition between the players. Like the one we got to see between Carmelo Anthony and a rookie Kevin Durant back in the late 2000s. While the two were rivals battling in the race for NBA scoring titles, the duo also holds each other in high regard. Even though on-court, Durant seemed quite fearless playing against Melo, former Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay revealed that there was more to it. 

During a conversation with Melo, Gay revealed a text that he got from a rookie Durant. Rudy recalled how Durant was quickly humbled after a matchup against the then-Denver Nuggets star.

“I remember KD was texting me. Cause, like, his rookie year, even before he came to college, he would text me, like, ‘Man, what you think?’ Cause I’m a year in front of him. He texted me after he played y’all. He said, ‘Yo, Melo, tough man.’ I said, ‘I told you,'” Gay revealed during his appearance on the 7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & The Kid Mero podcast.

The Slim Reaper gave a tough competition to Melo in his rookie year. But he had to agree that Melo didn’t make it easy for him. While there was always this mutual respect between the two, it was interesting to see their rivalry. Previously, in a conversation, Durant recalled his bitter loss to the New York Knicks legend. Here is what happened.

Carmelo Anthony stole (?) Kevin Durant’s scoring title

Heading back to the 2012-13 NBA season, the New York Knicks star and Durant were both competing for the scoring title. KD had already won the scoring titles three times in a row. He was close to tying the record set by Michael Jordan, but he would have needed to win his fourth title to achieve that. That’s when Anthony came in and grabbed his first and only scoring title, defeating Durant.

During an interview with the NBA a few years ago, Durant was asked about how many scoring titles he has won in his career. In response, he said, “Four. But it should have been five. Melo (Carmelo Anthony) took one!” And his frustration is understandable.

Durant scored 2280 points that year, the most in the league, while Anthony had 1920 points only. However, Melo’s scoring average was better due to him playing lesser number of games. In 67 games, Melo’s average came to 28.7. On the other hand, Durant played 81 out of the possible 82 games that year and averaged 28.1 points per game.

That brings us back to the present. Melo recently taunted Durant for losing against a young player like Anthony Edwards. The Phoenix Suns’ postseason sweep courtesy of the Minnesota Timberwolves has shocked many. Melo claimed that he would use the loss to fight back, and it seems that he has done that in the past. What is your take on this? Let us know in the comments section below.