The Complicated Perception of Carmelo Anthony as a Knick

Melo called it a career, calling into question how he will ultimately be viewed as a Knick and whether he should be immortalized in the rafters of Madison Square Garden

This week Carmelo Anthony retired from the game of basketball, capping off a career that will likely culminate in admission into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Anthony played 19 seasons which saw 10 All-Star selections, 6 All-NBA selections, a scoring title, 3 Olympic gold medals, and a collegiate National Championship. He also ends his NBA career as the 11th highest scoring player in NBA history, a testament to the prolific scorer that he was throughout his career.

As players offer their praise of Carmelo and all that he accomplished, many analysts lament what he was unable to achieve: win an NBA championship. Carmelo’s career is one that is a tale of three chapters. The first is his ascent into greatness in Denver. The second is the solidification of his stardom in New York. And the third is the acceptance of his decline and coming to peace with the fact that he never won a championship in the NBA (check out this piece from Chris Herring on this subject). But as a Knick fan that watched the Carmelo era unfold in New York, it is the second chapter that interests me most, and the conflicted feelings that I and many Knick fans have about Carmelo Anthony in the…