His shortcomings in the postseason may be accurate, but you still can’t ignore that he had a great career in the NBA. I think one of the reasons for the lack of respect for his achievements is perception and relationships. Melo has had the perception of being selfish and a ball hog. Some people have accused him of sacrificing the good of the team for his personal stats. The truth is, he just did what he does best and that is to score. His gift was to put the ball in the hole and he did it well.
The other factor was relationships, Melo was never really fully embraced by a coach or a team. Dwayne is a beloved figure in Miami. Even when he left the team for a brief period, he still was able to mend the fences and retire on a good note. Dirk has spent his whole career with the Dallas Mavericks and is without a doubt considered the best player in team history. The same thing cannot be said about Melo, he demanded a trade from the Denver Nuggets, the team that drafted him and left town on a sour note. When he arrived at the New York Knicks, he did not live up to the hype of leading the team far in the playoffs. He will never get the same type of love that other great Knicks players like Patrick Ewing and Walt Frazier received. The people who coached him, like George Karl and Mike D’Antoni didn’t really have a good relationship with him. Phil Jackson who was the president of the Knicks when Melo was there, was not a fan of his either.
The whole situation has resulted in a lost career for Carmelo Anthony. The man put in work on the court and now is getting treated like a bum. He deserves better than that. Maybe the Knicks or preferably the Nuggets pick him up next year and let him go out on a positive note. Let him come play spot minutes and get the type of love from his peers, colleagues, and fans. I think he is a Hall of Fame player and his exit should be given the type of appreciation has his contemporaries. Until then, I’m going to give him his props and salute him for being one of the best scorers in recent memory.