Carmelo Anthony, who played 19 seasons in the NBA, is considered one of the greatest scorers in the league’s history. Anthony spent the majority of his career with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets. However, the ten-time NBA All-Star recently made a surprising revelation about his career.
During a recent appearance at 7 PM on the Brooklyn show, Anthony, who recently praised Devin Booker, revealed a shocking reason why he had turned down the offer to return to the Knicks. The former NBA player disclosed that he spoke with the Knicks in 2022 but ultimately decided against signing a contract because he was unsure of his position within the organization.
“They had a spot on the roster, and respectfully, the powers that be, we sat down and had a real conversation. Listen, here’s a spot. You can be on a team tomorrow, but this is the spot. So no, no, I can’t do not knowing when you’re going to play and not play. And I’d rather not go through that. Right. I bow out gracefully. I just had a hell of a year, you know what I mean, in LA in my role. Like basketball, that ain’t the issue. I can’t do that.” Anthony said.
Anthony mentioned that after playing a season with the Los Angeles Lakers, he sat down with the Knicks in 2022 to discuss the possibility of rejoining the team because they had an open spot. However, the former NBA player chose to turn down the offer because, at that time, it was unclear whether he would be playing or just filling a spot on the team.
Carmelo Anthony Explained Why He Refuses To Be Just A Placeholder In The Team
Anthony, who won gold medals at the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympics, played seven dominant seasons with the Knicks. The 40-year-old legend showcased stellar talent during his time with the Knicks, but his best stats came in the 2012-13 season, where he averaged 28.7 points, 2.6 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
“Like, nah, no disrespect. Like, this is, these are people that I really f*ck with and like, you know, we have real relationships…you ain’t really offer it because, you know, deep down inside, like I don’t want you in that role, right there. Right. That’s not the representation of New York Knicks number seven Melo that We want people to remember right?” Anthony added.
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Anthony mentioned that it was disrespectful for him to simply fill a spot on the team where he had spent a significant amount of time. The 10-time NBA All-Star clearly indicated that his respect and place in the Knicks were more important than money and his contract.
Instead of simply being a name on the roster, he thought he would be acknowledged as a standout star by playing for the Knicks before retiring. However, Anthony announced his retirement from the NBA on May 22 last year.
Also Read: Carmelo Anthony Goes Off On Team USA Over Jayson Tatum’s Limited Minutes In The 2024 Paris Olympics
