Carmelo: Basketball "didn't love me back..."

[CIL]

It sounds like he's looking for sympathy, unfortunately I think this interview will provide the opposite.

I don’t think he was looking for sympathy but just correcting misinformation. He is willing to play a lesser role and come off the bench. He comes to practice everyday, works hard and could be a good veteran presence.

Every single answer he gave he came off as a victim.

I love and appreciate everything Melo did and has done for Syracuse and he was very easy to root for during his brief time on the hill. That said, NBA Melo isnt nearly as likeable and makes it very difficult to root for him.

If he didn't win us a title I dont think he'd be popular around these parts.

That’s absurd. Very few alumni are unpopular around these parts. You really have to go out of your way.

Melo was scapegoated in Houston and it should be obvious to everyone now that he wasn’t really the problem. They did him dirty and it cost him another gig last year. Might cost him one this year.

OKC really flourished after he was gone as well

Not sure if the OKC thing was a joke, but they were blinded early again this year. Problem in OKC was Westbrook...

 

[cuseinseattle]

It sounds like he's looking for sympathy, unfortunately I think this interview will provide the opposite.

I don’t think he was looking for sympathy but just correcting misinformation. He is willing to play a lesser role and come off the bench. He comes to practice everyday, works hard and could be a good veteran presence.

Every single answer he gave he came off as a victim.

I love and appreciate everything Melo did and has done for Syracuse and he was very easy to root for during his brief time on the hill. That said, NBA Melo isnt nearly as likeable and makes it very difficult to root for him.

If he didn't win us a title I dont think he'd be popular around these parts.

That’s absurd. Very few alumni are unpopular around these parts. You really have to go out of your way.

Melo was scapegoated in Houston and it should be obvious to everyone now that he wasn’t really the problem. They did him dirty and it cost him another gig last year. Might cost him one this year.

OKC really flourished after he was gone as well

Not sure if the OKC thing was a joke, but they were blinded early again this year. Problem in OKC was Westbrook...

It was a joke

 

[CusefanATL]

"basketball didnt love me back"????????????

dude melo... i love you love you love you but come on dawg. you had every opportunity in the world and were a HOF player... but you didnt hit your potential of all time great (bigger than HOF) because of you.

 

[two3zone]

"basketball didnt love me back"????????????

dude melo... i love you love you love you but come on dawg. you had every opportunity in the world and were a HOF player... but you didnt hit your potential of all time great (bigger than HOF) because of you.

National title, countless gold medals, hundreds of millions of dollars, and played a game for a living to ensure he'd never have to be a Joe Sixpack. I'm assuming his wife probably wouldn't be with him if he was Carmelo the WalMart sporting goods associate or a security guard. I think the game has been pretty damn good to him.

 

[Eric15]

I love Melo and I think he still has gas left in the tank to average 15 per game in the NBA, but "basketball didn't love me back" is as awkward of a quote as Patrick Ewing saying "we make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money too."

 

[JoeySimz]

At least read his full quote or listen to the interview for context. The “love me back” comment had nothing to do with money or success, or legacy, or the actual game of basketball. It was about how felt after dealing with the politics of his last free agency.

“I was like, ‘I don’t want to do this no more.’ I don’t want to deal with the politics of playing a sport that I love. I felt like the game didn’t love me back, at one point,” Anthony said.

“I felt like I loved the game more than the game loved me.”

He went on to reiterate some version of “at that particular time” or “at that point” several times. It’s almost like he knew people were going take it completely out of context.

 

[cuse10]

This thread reads like a Syracuse.com comment section.

 

[baggerbob]

It sounds like he's looking for sympathy, unfortunately I think this interview will provide the opposite.

I don’t think he was looking for sympathy but just correcting misinformation. He is willing to play a lesser role and come off the bench. He comes to practice everyday, works hard and could be a good veteran presence.

Every single answer he gave he came off as a victim.

I love and appreciate everything Melo did and has done for Syracuse and he was very easy to root for during his brief time on the hill. That said, NBA Melo isnt nearly as likeable and makes it very difficult to root for him.

If he didn't win us a title I dont think he'd be popular around these parts.

That’s absurd. Very few alumni are unpopular around these parts. You really have to go out of your way.

Melo was scapegoated in Houston and it should be obvious to everyone now that he wasn’t really the problem. They did him dirty and it cost him another gig last year. Might cost him one this year.

OKC really flourished after he was gone as well

Not sure if the OKC thing was a joke, but they were blinded early again this year. Problem in OKC was Westbrook...

Westbrook has always been the problem, all about him, and doesn't make team better.

 

[Day2]

It sounds like he's looking for sympathy, unfortunately I think this interview will provide the opposite.

I don’t think he was looking for sympathy but just correcting misinformation. He is willing to play a lesser role and come off the bench. He comes to practice everyday, works hard and could be a good veteran presence.

Every single answer he gave he came off as a victim.

I love and appreciate everything Melo did and has done for Syracuse and he was very easy to root for during his brief time on the hill. That said, NBA Melo isnt nearly as likeable and makes it very difficult to root for him.

If he didn't win us a title I dont think he'd be popular around these parts.

I guess I just don’t agree. He is one of the top 20 scorers of all time and scored large amounts of points on bad teams while never throwing people under the bus. He is very philanthropic and well spoken and has never committed a crime. I just don’t get it. He could have said things about amare and a whole host of other people. Until the last 2 years he earned his money. It always amazes me this whole take a pay cut to win thing. If I was offered a job at Amazon but had to take a 20% pay cut and refused. No one would say how could you not go to amazon. People would say of course you didn’t go it’s less money. It’s never made sense to me.

I'm not going reply because I don't want to attack the guy but there are some incorrect things in your post.

You’ve attacked him already. Why stop now?

Where did I attack him? Just because you want to believe I did or cant read doesnt mean I did.

You said he’s unlikeable and he wouldn’t be popular around here if not for the title. Was that supposed to be a compliment?

 

[two3zone]

It sounds like he's looking for sympathy, unfortunately I think this interview will provide the opposite.

I don’t think he was looking for sympathy but just correcting misinformation. He is willing to play a lesser role and come off the bench. He comes to practice everyday, works hard and could be a good veteran presence.

Every single answer he gave he came off as a victim.

I love and appreciate everything Melo did and has done for Syracuse and he was very easy to root for during his brief time on the hill. That said, NBA Melo isnt nearly as likeable and makes it very difficult to root for him.

If he didn't win us a title I dont think he'd be popular around these parts.

I guess I just don’t agree. He is one of the top 20 scorers of all time and scored large amounts of points on bad teams while never throwing people under the bus. He is very philanthropic and well spoken and has never committed a crime. I just don’t get it. He could have said things about amare and a whole host of other people. Until the last 2 years he earned his money. It always amazes me this whole take a pay cut to win thing. If I was offered a job at Amazon but had to take a 20% pay cut and refused. No one would say how could you not go to amazon. People would say of course you didn’t go it’s less money. It’s never made sense to me.

I'm not going reply because I don't want to attack the guy but there are some incorrect things in your post.

You’ve attacked him already. Why stop now?

Where did I attack him? Just because you want to believe I did or cant read doesnt mean I did.

You said he’s unlikeable and he wouldn’t be popular around here if not for the title. Was that supposed to be a compliment?

Never once said he was unlikable.

Never claimed my post to be a compliment but it surely isnt an attack.

I suggest you take some reading comprehension classes to help you.

 

[Day2]

It sounds like he's looking for sympathy, unfortunately I think this interview will provide the opposite.

I don’t think he was looking for sympathy but just correcting misinformation. He is willing to play a lesser role and come off the bench. He comes to practice everyday, works hard and could be a good veteran presence.

That said, NBA Melo isnt nearly as likeable and makes it very difficult to root for him.

You keep playing your game of semantics, “That guy.”

 

[FRANKIEFAN]

Meh there were only a couple guys out there that would have put him over the top when he was in his (later) prime. I'd be happy with a legacy of not being a ring chaser. I already can't help but think of AD as just as bad a band wagon hopper as LeBron and KD with those comments that essentially say hes gonna keep switching teams until hes on the best one.

As for late in his career when he clearly had lost a step it was pretty clear to me that he had to go to an awful team like Atlanta if he wanted a fit and to be able to play his game but trying to join up with the likes of Paul and Harden just wasn't gonna work out. If he went the VC route hes still playing but he wanted to 'win.'

 

[Day2]

...trying to join up with the likes of Paul and Harden just wasn't gonna work out.

I don’t know if we can say that for sure considering the small sample size. He only played ten games and both Paul and Harden missed some of those.

Unless you mean the whole thing was doomed because of how it played out between Paul and Harden. No arguments there.

 

[SUFan44]

Carmelo had all the talent in the world. Unfortunately, the head coaching situations at all of his stops during his prime were atrocious.

Jeff Bzedlik was a train wreck and after two seasons at Air Force where he used the old coach's players, he was a loser at both Colorado & Wake Forest.

George Karl was a nightmare. That's well documented.

Mike D'Antoni was also a nightmare.

His supporting cast also left a lot to be desired.

All that being said, he needs to take a little blame too. I think he'd be the first to admit he was hard headed early on in his career.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Meh there were only a couple guys out there that would have put him over the top when he was in his (later) prime. I'd be happy with a legacy of not being a ring chaser. I already can't help but think of AD as just as bad a band wagon hopper as LeBron and KD with those comments that essentially say hes gonna keep switching teams until hes on the best one.

As for late in his career when he clearly had lost a step it was pretty clear to me that he had to go to an awful team like Atlanta if he wanted a fit and to be able to play his game but trying to join up with the likes of Paul and Harden just wasn't gonna work out. If he went the VC route hes still playing but he wanted to 'win.'

I was thinking about the the whole non-ring chaser thing the other day. I wonder if 15-20 years from now he will be looked at much more positively. He will be a 1st ballot hall of famer who never joined up with anyone else to chase rings.

 

[CusefanATL]

I was thinking about the the whole non-ring chaser thing the other day. I wonder if 15-20 years from now he will be looked at much more positively. He will be a 1st ballot hall of famer who never joined up with anyone else to chase rings.

Nope. I’d bet in 15-20 years people tend to forget ring chasing and remember rings.

 

[CusefanATL]

I was thinking about the the whole non-ring chaser thing the other day. I wonder if 15-20 years from now he will be looked at much more positively. He will be a 1st ballot hall of famer who never joined up with anyone else to chase rings.

Barkley chased rings and failed.
Malone and Payton chased ring and failed (still don’t know how)

All 4 are remembered for never winning a ring.

KG chased ring and won. huuuuuge difference.

 

[OrangeDW]

I was thinking about the the whole non-ring chaser thing the other day. I wonder if 15-20 years from now he will be looked at much more positively. He will be a 1st ballot hall of famer who never joined up with anyone else to chase rings.

Part of it is luck and timing. Melo, Malone, Stockton, Barkley, Ewing, Dominique, etc. were all good enough to win a ring if they had the right team at the right time. Drexler, Worthy, Dirk, McHale, Pippen, Wade weren’t any better than them.

 

[OrangeDW]

Barkley chased rings and failed.
Malone and Payton chased ring and failed (still don’t know how)

All 4 are remembered for never winning a ring.

KG chased ring and won. huuuuuge difference.

Payton won a ring. And you didn’t remember.

Because it’s not all about “rings” when judging players as individuals.

 

[cuseinseattle]

Barkley chased rings and failed.
Malone and Payton chased ring and failed (still don’t know how)

All 4 are remembered for never winning a ring.

KG chased ring and won. huuuuuge difference.

I think I disagree with every statement you made in this post. Barkley, Malone and Payton were all in their mid 30’s and at the end. That is not chasing rings to me. Also Gary Payton was on the Heat and has a ring. I dont hear people talk that much about Gary or Charles not winning since they went up against Jordan. It’s mostly how great they were. Barkley for rebounding at his height and Gary playing defense. I agree KG chased a ring and won but I don’t think it really changed his legacy all that much. He was also at the end and had multiple other good players on the team.

 

[OrangeDW]

I think I disagree with every statement you made in this post. Barkley, Malone and Payton were all in their mid 30’s and at the end. That is not chasing rings to me. Also Gary Payton was on the Heat and has a ring. I dont hear people talk that much about Gary or Charles not winning since they went up against Jordan. It’s mostly how great they were. Barkley for rebounding at his height and Gary playing defense. I agree KG chased a ring and won but I don’t think it really changed his legacy all that much. He was also at the end and had multiple other good players on the team.

KG was actually only 31 when he got to Boston and won a ring. Pierce - 30. Allen - 32. Rondo - 21.

No real power team to get through. Good timing on all fronts.

He was a much better player in 2004. Didn’t win a ring that year.

 

[two3zone]

Part of it is luck and timing. Melo, Malone, Stockton, Barkley, Ewing, Dominique, etc. were all good enough to win a ring if they had the right team at the right time. Drexler, Worthy, Dirk, McHale, Pippen, Wade weren’t any better than them.

Pippen was one of the best players of all time and it showed when Jordan played baseball.

 

[OrangeDW]

Pippen was one of the best players of all time and it showed when Jordan played baseball.

Agreed. He didn’t win a “ring” that year though.

But yeah...he proved to be a top 5 player in the league for those next couple years even, IMO.

 

[miamicuse]

Team USA turned down Melo.

Carmelo Anthony Was Turned Down By USA Basketball

“First of all, I had a great relationship with Melo. He did a great job. He actually might have been as good or better in international play as he was in the NBA. Point is, he was very good in international play,” Colangelo said.
“I understood why the agent, he’s looking to get him the exposure, looking to get him another shot. But the only way (Anthony) can really be satisfied is for him to have another shot in the NBA, with another team and recently, he’s been aggressive media-wise, letting people know, ‘I feel like I can still play. I just need an opportunity, blah, blah, blah.’ With us, that would’ve been more of a distraction, as we discussed it. We need to focus on this team concept. We have a bunch of new guys and we’re going to go with this new group. And when you insert a different element and it detracts in any way, you lose it. That was it. That’s no reflection on Carmelo. I love the guy. But I don’t think it would’ve been healthy for our program at this time.”
Anthony participated in all but two international competitions since Colangelo took over USA Basketball in 2005 with a mantra to restore this country’s reputation and ranking.

 

[Newhouser]

Team USA turned down Melo.

Carmelo Anthony Was Turned Down By USA Basketball

Why and how did that go public?