Carmelo Anthony, one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history finally called it a career after playing 19 seasons in the league. Arguably one of the finest shooters and stellar performers in the game has had a fruitful run as a professional basketball player. For almost two decades, Melo amassed more than $400 Million in total earnings while also making 28,289 points in the NBA. It’s already a tough debate whether Denver Nuggets should retire Melo’s no.15. But, another intriguing idea is sparking interest from his fans. In the early 2010s, Anthony left Denver to join the New York Knicks. There, he wore no.7 and brought excitement to New York once more. With Melo’s retirement, should the New York Knicks hang Melo’s No. 7 in Madison Square Garden?
Carmelo Anthony and his impressive run with the New York Knicks
In August 2010, Carmelo Anthony made headlines by requesting a trade from the Denver Nuggets front office. It wasn’t very long until the organization decided to part ways with the young superstar, sending him to New York. At the time, it was recorded to be one of the largest trades in the history of the NBA.
The Knicks sent Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, a first-round pick, and two second-round picks to land Carmelo Anthony, Shelden Williams, Chauncey Billups, and Renaldo Balkman.
Melo played for seven seasons with the Knicks, and during that span, he averaged all-star numbers of 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 412 games. In his stint in New York, Anthony was undeniably one of the best small forwards in the game next to LeBron James and Kevin Durant. As a Knick, Melo was selected to 8 All-Star games and 3 All-NBA team nods.
His best year was probably in 2013, when he was named the scoring champion, got selected in the 2013 All-NBA second team, and finished third in MVP voting. However, his success never translated in the postseason. Carmelo Anthony never brought the Knicks even to the Conference Finals in what seemed to be a weaker East.
In seven seasons, he only managed to win one playoff series. Despite being an extremely talented player, winning a championship never came to Anthony.
So, should the New York Knicks retire Carmelo Anthony’s no.7?
In hindsight, Carmelo Anthony will go down as one of the greatest Knicks players. Future generations will remember his time in New York, alongside other Hall-of-Famers like Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Patrick Ewing, and many others. If it would come to a point where the Knicks have to decide if they should retire Melo’s number, we think it’s just right.
Despite not winning a ring for them, he made the franchise relevant again after many years of being the NBA’s laughingstock.
From @TheAthletic: Carmelo Anthony came to the Knicks when they needed a star. He chose New York and turned it into his city. This is why the Knicks should retire his No. 7 jersey to the rafters of Madison Square Garden. https://t.co/llh0312Pjp
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 23, 2023
Before Carmelo went to New York, the franchise was mostly mediocre. In some seasons, they were extremely terrible. The early 2000s were the last time we witnessed a good Knicks team that had Latrell Sprewell, Stephon Marbury, and Allan Houston. But, after that team fell apart, they were lost in translation. After years of seeing the team’s losing streak, Knicks fans found themselves happy with the team again with Carmelo Anthony leading the way.
Right after joining in 2010, he immediately made an impact as the team’s best player. As a very lethal scorer, he made the Knicks legitimate contenders. The team desperately needed a superstar during that time, and Melo stepped up.
A poll made by New York Basketball on Twitter asking Knicks fans if they want the organization to retire Melo’s number or not had a fairly one-sided response.
More than 77% believe that Carmelo Anthony’s number 7 deserves to be featured in the rafters. The public has already spoken, and hopefully, the New York Knicks listens to the pleas of the fans.
Knicks should retire Carmelo Anthony’s jersey
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 22, 2023
Where do you rank Carmelo Anthony among the all-time NBA greats? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below. For more content, stay with us here at Spiel Times. Make sure you subscribe to our push notifications and never miss an update. You can also follow us on Spiel Anime, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Until next time!
