Carmelo Anthony becomes 21st NBA player to score 25,000 points

Carmelo Anthony joined elite NBA company on Saturday.

The Oklahoma City Thunder forward became the 21st player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points. Anthony scored point No. 25,000 on a third quarter free throw on the road against the Detroit Pistons.

Anthony, 33, entered Saturday’s game needing 17 points to reach the milestone. He put up 14 in the first half, scored on a pull-up jumper early in the third before getting to the line at the 8:30 mark.

Anthony calmly sank the first of two free throws and acknowledged those in attendance who were tracking his accomplishment. He then hit the next free throw to extend his team’s lead to 81-57.

Anthony, in his first year in Oklahoma City after stints with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, is averaging 17.6 points per game. He is now one of three active players with at least 25,000 points, joining LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki. James reached 30,000 points on Tuesday, becoming the first player in NBA history to register 30,000 points, 7,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists.

Oklahoma City won Saturday’s game 121-108 to improve to 29-20 overall and extend its winning streak to seven games. Anthony finished with 21 points, giving him 25,004 for his career.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!