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Following 19 years of basketball, Carmelo Anthony retired from the NBA in 2022 after playing a final season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
However, there was a chance of him returning to the team that loved him so much: the New York Knicks.
Speaking on “7PM in Brooklyn,” per NBACentral, Anthony confirmed that there was talk of him coming back to the Knicks but a deal never came together.
At first, Anthony was excited about playing for the Knicks again but ultimately couldn’t make peace with the idea of not having consistent time on the floor.
“I’d rather not go through that. I’ma bow out gracefully,” Anthony said.
Melo reveals that he turned down an opportunity to return to the Knicks
“I said, ‘Nah. Nah. I can’t. The not knowing of when you’re gonna play and not play, uh, I’d rather not go through that. I’ma bow out gracefully.’”
( @7PMinBrooklyn )pic.twitter.com/go3Pm4NySP
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 27, 2024
Anthony’s singular season with the Lakers was a good one, with him averaging 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1 assist per game.
He was still shooting well with a 44.1% field goal percentage.
However, Anthony could feel that he wasn’t coming back to the Lakers, which opened the door for him to move to another team.
Of course, he will always be a hero in New York due to his seven seasons with the Knicks.
During that time, he averaged 24.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists.
He earned multiple All-Star spots during his years in New York and was also a candidate for MVP when he was there.
But the Knicks were a very different team in 2022 and they couldn’t promise him a lot of time on the court.
He didn’t want his career to end like that.
Instead of slowly declining and losing a big role, Anthony chose to instead walk away from the game entirely.
Even if he only played for two minutes a game, Knicks fans would have loved every second and would have given him a very warm welcome.
But a second stint in New York wasn’t meant to be for Anthony.
The post Carmelo Anthony Reveals That He Turned Down Knicks In 2022 appeared first on The Cold Wire.