Carmelo Anthony will undoubtedly go down as one of the best players in NBA history and a definitive player of an entire era.
But Anthony's career has taken a series of weird twists and turns in recent years. He was out of the league for a full year after his release from the Houston Rockets. He finally landed with the Portland Trail Blazers due in part to a series of injuries in Portland's frontc ourt.
Anthony's predisposition for being a mid-range scorer and a somewhat underwhelming defender has given pause to a number of analytics departments. But he has been an instrumental presence in helping keep the Trail Blazers afloat in the Western Conference.
In fact, former New York Knicks teammate Iman Shumpert feels Anthony has never quite gotten the credit he truly deserves.
Shumpert said people in the NBA “know” the impact Carmelo has had on the game. But they will not acknowledge him for his contributions (via VLADTV):
“He don’t look for the credit, but he don’t get no credit. And people know, that’s what bothers me. People in the league, you know.”
The full interview can be seen below:
Anthony's Impact on the Knicks
Shumpert was drafted by the Knicks in 2011, just a few months after Anthony came to the Big Apple via a trade from the Denver Nuggets.
Indeed, Carmelo became one of the more preeminent players in New York. The Knicks had not made the playoffs since 2004 when Anthony arrived. But he helped lead them to three consecutive playoff appearances despite his co-star–forward Amar'e Stoudemire–essentially playing on one leg at that point.
Anthony also played through a tumultuous pair of years with Phil Jackson at the helm as Knicks president. He continued to put up numbers in spite of Jackson and co. making a number of ill-advised roster moves.
Carmelo's legacy will face much deliberation whenever he chooses to retire. But Shumpert believes he deserves better from the NBA community.
Follow Us
Subscribe