New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony revealed this week that he was offered a chance to return to the franchise at the end of his career, but turned down the role he was offered.
During his seven years in New York, Carmelo Anthony had a memorable impact on the franchise. The story of the Brooklyn-born kid returning to play at Madison Square Garden was an easy sell. However, more than anything, the former Denver Nuggets star played a significant role in the franchise’s return to relevance after a decade of losses.
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Although he never made it past the second round of the NBA playoffs, Anthony is still fondly remembered by many New York Knicks fans. And it hurt when he left as a free agent in the summer of 2017. It was a necessary separation between the future Hall-of-Famer and the franchise. However, it appears that Anthony came close to returning to the team ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.
In a new edition of his podcast, “7pm in Brooklyn“Carmelo Anthony revealed the comeback rumors two years ago, as well as the reasons he turned down the offer.
Carmelo Anthony Statistics (Career): 22.5 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, 1.0 shooting per game, 36% from 3-point range
Carmelo Anthony has left the backup role with the New York Knicks for the 2022-23 season
“We sat down and had a real conversation. ‘Listen, here’s a spot. You can be on the team tomorrow, but this is the spot.’ I said, ‘No, no, I can’t,’” he said. [h/t Hoops Hype]”Not knowing when you’re going to play and not playing, I’d rather not experience that. I’m going to retire gracefully.”
“I just had a tough year in L.A. in my role. Basketball is not the issue. I can’t do that. It’s a big decline. When I look at the big picture, it’s a big decline. So I had to accept that,” he added. “No disrespect, but I can’t accept that.”
The New York Knicks could have used a little more offensive firepower in the playoffs that season, as they lost to the Miami Heat in the semifinals. Anthony would have certainly been a big help and would have increased their chances of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in the spring of 2023.
He unofficially retired from the NBA after his lone season in Los Angeles two years ago.
