Carmelo Anthony, born on May 29, 1984, in New York. Played High School basketball in Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. Played College basketball in Syracuse University leading the team to a championship before getting drafted third overall in the 2003 NBA draft. Same draft class as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. One of the best draft classes in NBA History. Anthony is the one of the six players to record at least 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals and 1,000 3-point field goals.
Anthony was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2003 and played eight seasons with them. His stint with the Nuggets is a success. He led the Nuggets to the playoffs every year from 2004 to 2010. He also led the Nuggets to it's first Western Conference Finals appearance in 2009 together with Allen Iverson but they failed to reach the NBA Finals. Then he got traded to the New York Knicks. The deal uncludes Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, the Knicks 2014 first-round draft pick, the Warriors’ 2012 second-round pick, the Warriors’ 2013 second-round pick and $3 million in cash. Anthony formed a strong team in New York with JR Smith, Amare Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups. Anthony played seven seasons with the New York Knicks.
Last off-season, after a lot of dramas with the Knicks organization, Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder to join MVP Russell Westbrook and all-star forward Paul George. The deal sent Enes Kanter to the New York Knicks. Everybody thought that this new super team of the Oklahoma City Thunder can compete with the Golden State Warriors but it's a mess. It didn't worked out well and they ended up having an early first round exit in the playoffs.
There are a lot of problems with their chemistry, they beat top teams in the regular season but they struggled with teams that are not so strong. Anthony struggled so much in his role with the Thunder. He became the third option behind Paul George and Westbrook which is not what he used to in his whole career. He had limited touches and he can't find his rhythm. He sacrificed a lot because everybody thinks that that was the best for the team but it didn't work out. He accepted that but the sacrifice didn't pay off.
Anthony's career is now falling and people are criticizing him and his game. It hurts a lot for Melo fans like me to see his career go down like that. After what he has done for 15 years of his career, people judged him for just only one disappointing season? that's crap. Where is the respect? he is a great player his whole career but he has been criticize for just one unsuccessful season? It just feels sad to see an athlete being criticized like that.
After that disappointing season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in a three team deal including the Philadelphia 76ers. This is another chapter in Anthony's career and it's a hard one. The Hawks and Anthony agrees to a buyout after Anthony clears waivers and he is now set to join the Houston Rockets to revive his career.
In an interview with ESPN during a Nike event in Washington D.C., Anthony shared what is on his mind about this move and here is what he said :
"To get bought out, to get waived, you were looked at like, you're done,"
"Now, it's just almost like the norm. If something doesn't work, go ahead and get a buyout or go ahead and get traded. That's the new norm in our society in basketball. I had to get over that.
"I had a conversation with my wife and family. I said to them, I'm not taking no buyout. I'm not getting waived. And they said, at the end of the day, nobody is going to know that. You have to do what you have to do. It's going to be a blip on your radar.
It's on to the next chapter. It took me a while to get to that point where I'm like, OK, I'm going to accept it."
"Obviously, we're just trying to figure it out," Everybody knows about the trade to Atlanta. I think everything is trying to get cleared right now. I'll let the people do what they do. I just sit back and when the time comes, and the call gets made, we'll make that move."
Carmelo Anthony's game changed in Oklahoma City as he became a catch and shoot player instead of the isolation post-up and mid-range guy he had always been his whole career. Melo ranked 19th in NBA History in scoring with 25,417 points. He was nnot happy with his role with the Thunder and he was very upset in the playoffs because of his decreased playing time. In Game 6 of the first round match against the Utah Jazz, he's backup Jerami Grant played more minutes than him and we was not happy.
Melo thinks that his stay with the Thunder just doesn't fit. Another factor is that it's only for a short time. For a player who is already new to the system and his team mates, it takes time to make it work. It takes a very long time and experience. You cannot get it done instantly. That's what Melo thinks.
"At the end of the day, it wasn't a good fit, I think last year -- and I haven't talked about this before -- everything was just so rushed, going to the team for media day and the day before training camp. Them guys already had something in place, and then I come along in the 25th hour like, oh s---, Melo just come on and join us. Like, you can figure it out since you've been around the game for a long time. That's why it was so inconsistent. At times, I had to figure it out on my own rather than somebody over there or people over there helping me." Anthony said.
Another fact that affects Melo's game is the New Style of the NBA. The fast phase game, the positionless setup of a team. There are only three categories like the Guards, the Wings and the Bigs. It's very different from the era where Melo started. The game changes big time. New players works on different things now. Their focus is stretching the floor and opening more space. The three point shot is the primary focus now. It's the number one weapon that every team are trying to use now. More teams with a higher three-point percentage are more successful now.
But for me, Melo's old school skill set is one of the greatest and no one can do it perfectly like him. His classic back to the basket, jab step, and slower-paced grind are fun to watch and is very hard to guard. His skill set is very unique and very deadly. But in today's NBA, fewer players are able to find success with those kind of skill sets. People now are just focusing on watching a three point shot falling 30-feet from the basket. Thanks to Stephen Curry. Lol.
"I watch guys work out in the summer, and it's just straight shooting threes and pick-and-rolls and ball-handling, Nobody works on the stuff I work on. It's a lost art." Anthony said during an interview with ESPN.
The lost art Anthony was talking about just led him to 10 All-Star games, six All-NBA honors, and the 2013 scoring title but people are criticizing him for not adjusting in today's fast phase NBA style.
"To be honest with you, I think I might be the only person in the history of the NBA who gets criticized for what he's great at, That's OK. I'd rather be criticized for something I'm great at." Anthony said.
I still have high hopes in Melo. I still believe in what he can do. I still believe that he can still be good. Now that he is set to join the title contender Houston Rockets, I think it will be a big help for him. Joining a winning team who is one win away from the finals last season can help him build his confidence again. Melo will be back despite his age. Melo can still contribute and he will help the Rockets reach their goal, the NBA Finals.
"I think winning, at the end of the day, rewrites everything, It settles everything. I also look back at this past year. When we were winning, the story was written already. When we started losing, the story is written. It's almost premeditated. I'm playing ball. I'm happy. I'm excited about what's to come, wherever that may be." Anthony said.
Before I end this, I'll leave you some highlights of Carmelo Anthony, i want everybody who read this article be reminded how great Melo was. Thanks guys! Have a great day!
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