New York Knicks: No Need To Boo Carmelo Anthony, He Wanted To Stay
The New York Knicks will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday Night, and that means Carmelo Anthony will be back in town. With this being his first game back in Madison Square Garden since the big trade, the media is wondering what type of reception Knicks fans will have for Melo. Many believe Carmelo will be booed during introductions, but why? What exactly has Carmelo done to call for such a response?
If memory serves me correctly, Anthony never wanted to leave the New York Knicks.
During his time with the Knicks, Carmelo tried to do everything in his power to transform them into contenders but couldn’t. But then Phil Jackson came along and everything just went sideways from there. In 7 seasons with the Knicks, Anthony averaged 24.7 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the floor. No matter how you view those numbers they are All-Star stats.
But the issue was his age and the Knicks not winning that may have been the reason he was FORCED out of NY. According to The New York Daily News, Jackson went on record as stating why he wanted to trade Anthony:
We have not been able to win with him on the court at this time and I think the direction with our team is that he is a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talent somewhere he can win or chase that championship
The NBA is a business and that’s how Jackson viewed it but Melo loved NY and he was not willing to go down just because Jackson thought it was the best idea. What may have complicated things more was that the Knicks gave Anthony a NTC. While Jackson was off in the media telling everyone who would listen that the Knicks no longer needed Anthony, Carmelo was off saying how much he needed the Knicks. Eventually, something had to give and the result was Jackson being fired.
No Way Anyone Can Blame Carmelo Anthony
Scott Perry walked into a messy situation and by the time he arrived, the Jackson damage to Melo’s stance with the Knicks was already done. While Perry offered encouraging words, it was clear the Knicks and Melo needed a divorce from each other. With the trade done and both parties having moved on, what ill-will should Knicks fans have against their former face of the franchise?
There’s no reason to boo a man who gave his all then forced to leave the city. Instead, stand and give Carmelo Anthony the ovation he deserves. He never wanted to leave, but it’s hard to stay somewhere when a person feels unwanted. Carmelo deserves better than boos, he deserves the same respect he gave the Knicks for 7 years.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
