Carmelo Anthony defends his move to New York Knicks last season – NBA Update
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony has defended his switch from the Denver Nuggets to the Big Apple in the middle of last season.
The Carmelo Anthony trade became one of the highlights of last season, and after a spate of statements, counter statement and denials, Anthony finally managed to land at the Madison Square Garden in late February. The whole saga, which was branded as the ‘Melodrama’, drew a lot ire from fans and analysts, not only in Denver, but the across the board in NBA.
Melo started his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets and played for the franchise for over seven years. Since being drafted as the 3rd overall pick in 2003 by the Bronchos, Carmelo has blossomed into one of the elite players in the league and is therefore, a sought after commodity.
However, despite his own high level of performances, Carmelo was never able to taste the higher spectrums of success. For one reason or the other, the Nuggets were not able to be a major force in the NBA which frustrated Melo as years went by.
So, when he decided to jump the ship, he didn’t think it was the wrong thing to do.
"I don't think I did anything wrong to the Denver fans. I think I've been loyal to them for 7 1/2 years, so for me to go back - of course you're going to have some boos and people weeping and whining about it - but for the most part I can say I did a h**l of a job out there in Denver," Anthony said in an interview to the Associated Press.
Anthony was a firm fan favourite in Denver before he left, but he might not get the same kind of affection upon a return.
Anthony could have moved at the end of the season as a free agent, but he chose to go during the season instead. Some people believe he did it to get a better contract than he would have gotten under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Anthony though says he didn’t want to create a fuss with the free agency and, rightly, points out that Denver got a great deal because he chose to move.
"I think I did the right thing. For the average person out there who really thought I was just trying to get up and just leave for no reason, that really was a big key in my decision," Anthony said. "I knew free agency was coming, I knew it would be altered, I knew it'd be messed up, so imagine if I'd have stayed. I'd have been a free agent now in limbo. It'd have just been all bad."
The Nuggets got a whole host of talented young players in return from New York and on the paper the deal was a win-win situation. The star also got to play in a big market team, where he believes he would have more opportunities to succeed.
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