Former Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl delivered another hot take, this time pertaining to his former player in Carmelo Anthony.
In a recent Twitter post, Karl claimed that trading Anthony from the Nuggets to the New York Knicks was the best trade to ever happen for Denver:
Almost 10 years ago, Melo was traded to the Knicks from our Nuggets.
That trade hasn’t been reviewed properly still.
I strongly believe it was one of the best trades in NBA history – for the Nuggets!
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) October 27, 2020
The two individuals go way back during Melo's second season in the league, which is when Karl first took over the head coaching reins in Denver. In seven seasons spent together, the Nuggets consistently entered the playoff picture and attained their most significant success by facing the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals back in the 2008-2009 season. They eventually lost in a 4-2 series outcome.
The 2010-11 season began with speculation that Anthony had requested a trade and refused to sign a contract extension with the Nuggets. In February 2011, Anthony finally got his wish granted as he was dealt along with Chauncey Billups in exchange for Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first-round pick, and swap rights in 2016. Denver also landed Kosta Koufos in the deal from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and there were some other moving parts.
The New York native eventually made a name for himself on his hometown team, where he garnered individual success, being named as the 2013 NBA scoring champion and snagging multiple All-Star appearances. On the other hand, George Karl was selected as the 2013 NBA Coach of the Year during his last season in Denver.
Karl has previously ripped Melo on a handful of occasions in the past, and they certainly had a complicated relationship. Karl also recently referred to his former player in DeMarcus Cousins as a snake, reminiscent of their tumultuous run together with the Sacramento Kings.
No one knows exactly what happened between George Karl and Carmelo Anthony behind closed doors except for them, but it's clear there's still some animosity.
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