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The Carmelo Anthony saga with the New York Knicks has come to an end, leaving a trail of resentment for some and peace for others. Anthony was labeled selfish, a ball-stopped, and a myriad of other adjectives that painted him as a cancer to the team, but his teammates surprisingly never had that idea about him, no matter how hard he was dissed by former president Phil Jackson.
From fellow stars like young Kristaps Porzingis, who chose to skip on exit meetings; disgusted by Jackson dangling Melo on the block so openly, to role players that were in a less-favorable situation than he was.
In a city like New York, where rumors run rampant, creating a state of constant chaos — Anthony was a locker room favorite, no matter how often he shot the ball or how many games the Knicks lost.
According to ESPN's Ian Begley, this camaraderie went beyond the locker room and transferred into real life, where Melo cultivated the real roots of his relationships with his Knicks teammates.
He was coming off signing a five-year, $124 million contract extension with the organization in 2013-14, but his demeanor was the same toward his teammates, despite making that much more than them.
“Anthony engendered loyalty among many of his teammates, particularly the younger Knicks,” wrote Begley. “One Knick last season told his agent that if Phil Jackson traded Anthony, he'd want to be dealt to the same team. That loyalty, at times, went both ways.
“Case in point: Shortly after Cleanthony Early was shot in the leg during a robbery attempt in his second season, Anthony told Early that if he were cut, he'd help ease any financial burden he incurred, according to people familiar with the matter. ‘That was real,' one teammate said.”
Even former teammates like Chauncey Billups, Allen Iverson, and J.R. Smith have vouched for him and his loyalty not only as a teammate, but as a friend — and the likes of Michael Beasley, who has yet to play a minute in a Knicks uniform, has already considered him a mentor.
