(Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for TIME)
There was a time when people actually debated whether Carmelo Anthony should be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, even ahead of LeBron James.
Obviously, their careers panned out differently, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a legend of the game.
And now that he’s officially announced his retirement from the league, legendary sixth man Jamal Crawford wanted to give him his flowers.
Per Crawford, Carmelo actually improved the game by being so “instrumental,” adding that he always wants to praise him because of how great he was (via Landon Buford).
Jamal Crawford on @carmeloanthony Announcing His Retirement From Basketball:
“Every time I see him, I just want to give him his love because he is so instrumental,” Says @Jcrossover.
“He is so needed, our culture and game needs him, and he left the… pic.twitter.com/zTQuFwhiCa
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) July 18, 2023
Anthony didn’t find a lot of success in the playoffs and wasn’t able to win an NBA championship, but he rarely had a solid — or healthy — supporting cast.
He was often scapegoated and deemed a toxic teammate and a ball-stopper, but he was one of the greatest, most dominant scorers this game has ever seen.
Even if some fans refuse to praise Melo and recognize his greatness, his colleagues have always had nothing but the utmost respect for him and his game, considering him one of the toughest and most physical scorers ever.
He could’ve obviously had a better chance to win a ring if he had decided to join one of his friends from the 2003 draft class, as was constantly expected, but Melo always tried to pursue glory on his own, which is almost impossible in today’s star-studded league.
Still, love him or hate him, he’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer and no one can take that away from him.
The post Iconic Sixth Man Heaps Praise On Carmelo Anthony appeared first on The Cold Wire.