SHUT UP CARMELO ANTHONY!!!

Carmelo Anthony, for as underrated as he thinks he is, sure talks about how great he thinks he is. In a recent interview with ESPN.com, the ringless Knicks superstar said he was the most underrated superstar. Isn’t that an oxymoron? Doesn’t Melo sound like a moron?

Ever since Melo came to NY to don the orange & blue, he’s been nothing but a malcontent. From fighting with coaches, to orchestrating the ousting of Jeremy Lin, Melo’s been treated like the goose that laid the golden egg by Knicks management. And what does he have to show for all this? A bare hand.

The NBA is a very ego driven sport. It’s the one sport where if one person gets hot, they can take over the game singlehandedly. It’s not much of a team sport as the other three major sports. That’s why there are plays specifically called “Isolation”. The NBA has always been as strong as its superstars, and Melo isn’t a superstar. He’s a great player, but he’s not someone who can carry a team. Never was and never will be.

Countless first round playoff exits, numerous shaking off passes, timeless accounts of calling for the ball has been Carmelo’s career. He’s a great pure scorer, and that’s about it. That is why after all this “underrated” and “superstar” talk, I am disgusted by Melo’s latest interview where he put down his team. But in a narcissist league dominated by Type-A personalities, I guess that’s to be expected.

Here are quotes from a recent Carmelo Anthony interview from last week:


"For this season, right now, we have what we have," Anthony said when asked if he feels he has the help he is looking for. "We're going to deal with that. That was a big discussion with me and Phil -- that was one of my things."

"I didn't want to have to do it night in and night out," Anthony said. "I wanted some nights when somebody else can pick up the load. Right now, with the way we're playing [in training camp], I don't have to do everything. But we haven't played one game. ... So we'll see what happens."

On new coach Derek Fisher’s triangle offense:
"It will be less pressure on me," Anthony said of playing in the system. "I can see that now in training camp. I feel that. I can see what we're able to do with the little bit of time we've been together this week. I see other guys' roles and how they're implemented into the system and what they're capable of doing.

"I think it'll be easier. It's still going to be a dogfight [this season], but I think it'll be a little bit easier where everybody is not keying in and focusing on me every single time down the court. Now you put the pressure on everybody else, have to guard their man and there's movement. It's a good thing."

"We got too many," he said of the power forwards on the Knicks roster. "I don't need to go down there and battle. For what?

And how about this gem about being asked to play another position:
"If it comes down to it, I'll go back there, but I doubt it.”

Where does Carmelo get the balls to talk like this? Why would anyone want to play with this guy? Sure, Kobe is a rapist and perhaps has the biggest ego ever, in NBA history, but the guy has jewelry on his hands. All Melo has is a big mouth and excuses.

Playing basketball is a job. His teammates are his co-employees. His associates. It’s supposed to be a team game. Can you imagine going to your job and putting in the company newsletter that people need to go and that everyone else is weaker than you? How is this supposed to improve team chemistry and promote a positive locker room? I suppose it’s Fisher’s headache now.

After dumping on his teammates, Melo then talks about how he doesn’t want to carry the load every night. WHAT THE FUCK? YOU CAN’T CALL YOURSELF A SUPERSTAR NOR UNDERRATED IF YOU’RE OPENLY SAYING YOU WANT TO TAKE NIGHTS OFF AND JUST COLLECT A CHECK!

If this was your co-worker, would you give a shit about this guy? In a sports city, the biggest sports city, that just lost its most iconic figure of a generation, Derek Jeter, there are is a spot to be filled. Who will take over as NY’s premiere athlete? Eli Manning? He’s got the success, but not as enamoring as Jeter. Henrik Lundqvist? Hockey’s a tough sell & no rings. Carmelo ideally could be NY’s top prize, but his stupid mouth will always jam him up like the Lincoln Tunnel during rush hour.

Carmelo should leave the talking to guys who have won. A leader doesn’t bury his soldiers. Melo may put up fancy stats for another solid 3-4 years, but when he, Dwayne Wade, Kobe, and his other buddies reflect on their career, he will be the only one without a ring to polish. But hey, at least he got 28 points a game, you know the games that he felt like carrying the load in.

The best athletes are the ones that let their play do the talking for them and have other people singing their praises. Hopefully it’s not too late for Carmelo Anthony to realize that.

Sean “The MiC” McCaffrey
BULLSMC@aol.com