Recently, during a quick quiz session, Amar’e Stoudemire firmly stated that Carmelo Anthony would not even rank among the top 10 players who had assisted him the most in his career. Yet, in reality, Anthony stood at number seven. In the NBA, where defenses are tighter than ever, big men often rely heavily on teammates to set them up for easy scoring opportunities, and BD Cricket Live reports that without such support, even the most talented centers and forwards would struggle to rack up points.

Typically, in today’s game, a center or power forward needs a well-timed pass to successfully attack the basket. With modern defenses leaving little room for one-on-one post-ups, players rarely have the luxury to back down their defender without some help. BD Cricket Live also highlights that newly signed Miami Heat player Stoudemire has been fortunate throughout his career to play alongside some excellent passers. To welcome him to Miami, ESPN’s Tom Haberstroh organized a playful quiz to see if Stoudemire could guess the top ten players who had assisted him the most over his career.

Of course, guessing the number one spot was a no-brainer — Steve Nash. Stoudemire and Nash spent years together on the Phoenix Suns, where Nash delivered an astonishing 1,155 assists to his big man. But the real twist came when Haberstroh hinted that not all top passers were point guards and brought up Stoudemire’s former Knicks teammate Carmelo Anthony. Without hesitation, Stoudemire dismissed the idea, saying, “I know Carmelo definitely isn’t on that list.” Much to his surprise, Haberstroh revealed that Anthony had provided Stoudemire with 122 assists, placing him seventh overall. Talk about a surprise from left field!

Stoudemire, who was traded from the Suns to the Knicks in the summer of 2010, later moved to the Dallas Mavericks after a midseason buyout in 2015, and joined the Heat during the offseason. Perhaps because Anthony has long been perceived primarily as a prolific scorer and offensive finisher, Stoudemire underestimated his former teammate’s willingness and ability to create for others. As the old saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover — even a star shooter like Carmelo knew when to share the rock.