NY Knicks, Kyle Lowry, Carmelo Anthony, Spencer Dinwiddie (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Recent reports have emerged that the New York Knicks were seriously interested in an offseason reunion with former franchise cornerstone Carmelo Anthony. This would have been a fascinating revelation for a Knicks team that has their sights set squarely on postseason success in 2021-2022 and beyond.
Ultimately, Anthony elected to join the Western Conference powerhouse Los Angels Lakers for what will be his 19th season in the NBA. The 10-time All-Star, who has yet to add an NBA title to his NCAA Championship and three Olympic Gold Medals, now has the second-best odds in the league to earn his first ring.
It is easy to understand why Melo would choose the Lakers over the Knicks. The Knicks’ upcoming season would be a great success if they were to earn a berth in the second round. While they are much improved, it would be a shocking development to see the Knicks surpass Eastern Conference powerhouses like the Bucks, 76ers, and crosstown Nets.
The Lakers, on the other hand, gave the former superstar a chance to join his longtime friend LeBron James on a stacked roster with their sights set on an NBA Championship. Melo will occupy a bench role with stars like James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook leading the way.
However, a reunion with New York could have had a tangible effect on Anthony’s overall legacy. This is primarily true in terms of where the star’s jersey will reside after his career. Will the Knicks add it to the nine jerseys currently immortalized in Madison Square Garden? Could he become the eighth Denver Nugget to receive the honor? Or will the time split between franchises cause its primary residence to be his own personal rack? Let’s discuss!
New York Knicks</a> were seriously interested in an offseason reunion with former franchise cornerstone Carmelo Anthony. This would have been a fascinating revelation for a Knicks team that has their sights set squarely on postseason success in 2021-2022 and beyond.</p>
<p>Ultimately, Anthony elected to join the Western Conference powerhouse Los Angels Lakers for what will be his 19th season in the NBA. The 10-time All-Star, who has yet to add an NBA title to his NCAA Championship and three Olympic Gold Medals, now has the<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://www.vegasinsider.com/nba/odds/futures/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> second-best odds</a> in the league to earn his first ring.</p>
<p>It is easy to understand why Melo would choose the Lakers over the Knicks. The Knicks’ upcoming season would be a great success if they were to earn a berth in the second round. While they are much improved, it would be a shocking development to see the Knicks surpass Eastern Conference powerhouses like the Bucks, 76ers, and crosstown Nets.</p>
<p>The Lakers, on the other hand, gave the former superstar a chance to join his longtime friend LeBron James on a stacked roster with their sights set on an NBA Championship. Melo will occupy a bench role with stars like James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook leading the way.</p>
<p>However, a reunion with New York could have had a tangible effect on Anthony’s overall legacy. This is primarily true in terms of where the star’s jersey will reside after his career. Will the Knicks add it to the nine jerseys currently immortalized in Madison Square Garden? Could he become the eighth Denver Nugget to receive the honor? Or will the time split between franchises cause its primary residence to be his own personal rack? Let’s discuss!</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Melo's Jersey Conundrum </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-121476 size-full" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1120,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F98486139.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks" width="1600" height="1120" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/98486139.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/98486139-768x538.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Carmelo Anthony, NY Knicks. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>NY Knicks: The Jersey Retirement Conundrum</h2>
<p>One of the greatest honors in the sports world is for a franchise to retire a player’s jersey. When fans walk into a field or arena, their eyes are immediately drawn to the names and numbers hanging from the rafters.</p>
<p>Jersey retirement is a club’s way of publically declaring that certain players made such an impact that it would be unfitting for any other athlete to suit up in their numbers again. It is an honor reserved only for players whose skills left an irreversible mark on their franchises.</p>
<p>Carmelo Anthony’s career has certainly reached these levels. He currently ranks 11th all-time in scoring with 27,370 points. He is well on his way to cracking the illustrious top ten in this category. As mentioned above, the star forward has also brought a winning culture to both his collegiate and international teams. He is a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Fame player.</p>
<p>However, Carmelo’s career arch has caused the notion of his jersey retirement to become muddied. After spending the first eight seasons in the NBA as a member of the Denver Nuggets, Anthony <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://www.si.com/nba/2010/08/27/carmelo-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demanded to be traded away from the city that drafted him.</a></p>
<p>This led to his arrival with the New York Knicks, where he would spend the next seven seasons. Anthony would be named to the All-Star team in each of these campaigns, as he established himself as a bonafide superstar and top-tier scorer.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, Carmelo was seldom able to lead his teams to success in the postseason. In fact, he holds one of the <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://medium.com/@rpsalao/player-spotlight-the-disappointing-career-of-carmelo-anthony-9fa6db692f8a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">worst playoff winning percentages in league history</a> for a player of his caliber.</p>
<p>Ultimately, lack of team success, combined with mounting frustrations with then-Knicks’ President Phil Jackson, led to Anthony demanding his way out of NYC.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Where do all Parties Go from Here? </a>
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<h2>NY Knicks: Who retires Carmelo Anthony’s jersey?</h2>
<p>This begs the key question: Who will take the step of retiring Melo’s jersey after he retires? The answer could be both teams. After all, the star currently sits as the third-highest scorer in Nuggets’ history with 13,970 points, and the seventh-highest scoring Knick with 10,186 points. However, the lack of playoff success and the tumultuous ending with each club causes his jersey retirement into question.</p>
<p>A second stint with the NY Knicks would have made a real difference in this conversation. Not only would Anthony have had an opportunity to add to his counting stats totals, but he would have been able to end his tenure with the franchise on a healthier note. I firmly believe that even one extra season in NYC would have added enough to Melo’s legacy to clear jettison him into the threshold of jersey retirement.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Where do Both Parties go from Here?</strong></span></p>
<p>Anthony has been <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://www.yahoo.com/now/carmelo-anthony-jersey-retired-with-denver-nuggets-new-york-knicks-madison-square-garden-225432745.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outspoken</a> on his desire to see his jersey lifted into the rafters in Denver. He also <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2866513-carmelo-anthony-hopes-knicks-retire-his-no-7-jersey-at-madison-square-garden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hopes</a> to see his #7 on display at MSG. For now, we’ll have to wait and see how both situations play out.</p>
<p>While it is admittedly a long shot, there is still one clear path toward an impact being made in this conversation. Melo’s contract with the Lakers is a single-year deal for the 2021-2022 season. This runs through his 19th season and would bring him to the age of 38.</p>
<p>There is a conceivable path toward Melo electing to return to the league for his 20th season in 2022-2023. While he would be one of the oldest (if not the oldest) players in the sport, the former Syracuse superstar has shown he can still be an effective scorer when called upon.</p>
<p>Last season, he averaged a very respectable 13.4 points per game while shooting a hair under 41% from three. While his agility and defensive skills will continue to decline with age, Carmelo seems equipped to hit a mid-range jumper or a corner three for years to come. As shown here, he is certainly capable of coming up big in clutch moments:</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/C20khNhXoc4?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>Tempted to think this version of Melo is a think of the past? Let me draw your attention to moments</p>
<p>like this during recent years with the Trail Blazers:</p>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/qVIMgsWVzsc?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="embed embed-video"><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/09/16/ny-knicks-how-a-reunion-could-have-added-to-carmelo-anthonys-legacy/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/rNskXH4jlKA?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>If the stars align, perhaps Anthony could rejoin New York for one final season full of nostalgia and healing. Even if his role is more as a veteran leader than a consistent on-court talent, a reunion between Carmelo and the New York Knicks could be the perfect close to a legendary basketball career.</p>
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