An Open Letter To Carmelo Anthony
by 303SportsFan on Sep 7, 2010 5:21 PM MDT
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Carmelo:
I can’t believe it’s been 7 years since you first entered the league in this, our fair city. What a long, strange trip it’s been. I have loved watching you play. I have hated the way you’ve played, and a couple of times, I’ve even wanted to get rid of you. But at the end of the day, I always enjoyed having you here; which is going to make our impending separation that much more difficult. First, I’d like to talk about how much you have meant to this city. You brought basketball to a football town. People are going to basketball games and caring about the Nuggets in a way that has never been true before. You’ve taken us to TV networks and relevance for the first real time in my generation’s lifetime. In short, you have put Denver on the basketball map. For this and more, I thank you for establishing a basketball tradition here that will continue long after you’ve gone to New York.
For this reason, I have always ardently defended you to others who think that you are overhyped and maybe not as good as the numbers suggest. I guess I was defending you because all of the things that I have just addressed. But when it comes down to it, maybe they were right. Maybe you aren’t that good. Granted, every team isn’t perfect, and yes, maybe we could have surrounded you with some better talent. But in all of those first round playoff exits, couldn’t, maybe, some of the blame be on you? Year after year you disappeared in the playoffs, close to 30 ppg for the season, and around 18-20 in the playoffs. And yes, some of the teams were great defensively, but all of them weren’t. You’re going to tell me that the Clippers were the defensive team of the year when they beat us? No, they weren’t, but you still allowed them to take away everything you wanted to do. Then, when things weren’t going your way, you acted like a child and totally lost your composure. Every year we saw somebody who wasn’t mature enough to lead a team through to the Finals.
But then, it happened. We made it to the Western Conference Finals. That year, you finally put it together and showed the maturity and competitiveness that a winner exhibits. And now, with essentially the same team and a new GM that is committed to building a team around you, you’re going to leave? I don’t get it. First of all, you are leaving millions of dollars on the table that you will never get again with a new agreement. But more importantly, it will seem to me and other fans that you quit on us. And that is exactly what you are doing: Quitting. You’re quitting for, what I can tell, minimal gain. Really, what is better about New York, besides, of course the ability to market your brand globally. But do you think that you, Amare and possibly Paul, with an all-defense-no-offense coach are really going to win the East? I’ve got news for you; the balance of power is shifting. The East is about to become the power conference. The Bulls, the Magic, Celtics and now the Heat are all teams that could easily go to the finals. But what about the West? Kobe is getting older, I can’t see him playing for more than about 5 years at the same level as now. After that, there is no clear cut favorite for the West. Why not the Nuggets? Why not Carmelo Anthony’s Nuggets? There is no reason to believe that we can’t be a contender in the West year in and year out.
I guess you could also argue that you’re trying to invigorate the basketball tradition in New York. Ok, fair enough. That would be pretty cool to be on the list of Knick greats: Willis Reed, Earl Monroe, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Frazier. However, if you brought a championship to Denver do you know what the list would look like for generational Nugget players? It would read something like this: Carmelo Anthony and maybe Chauncey Billups. Just ask Patrick Roy and Joe Sackic how that worked out for them. They were embraced and loved by the city the way that you would be if you were able to bring a title back here. If you don’t think that that’s the ultimate high as an athlete, then maybe you just aren’t the kind of competitor you’ve been trying to convince us of over the last 7 years.
The bottom line is this, we are all grateful for what you’ve done here, and I for one will continue to root for you unless you are playing the Nuggets or Thunder (KD, he’s my man). But in the end, the Nuggets will still be here long after you are gone, and the fans will continue to root for our team the same with or without you. So I guess the only thing to think about is your legacy here. Will you be remembered as the greatest Nugget ever? Or will you be remembered as somebody who quit on a team that embraced him? The choice is yours. But just remember when you’re playing for a psychotic owner, with the rabid NY media and people who won’t pick you up in their cabs: We could have been something special. Best of luck, you’ll surely need it.
Sincerely,
303SportsFan
PS: If it were up to me, I’d try and trade you to the Clips.
Write respectfully of your SB Nation community and yourself.
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do not sign this nuggets fans
when not everyone agrees with you asshole. I would never wish for Melos ACLs to go and you are a dick for doing so.
Before calling Melo a quitter maybe you should address the fact that the owner quit on the Nuggets a long time ago by not adding one or 2 more pieces to get us over the hump.
by NugNugz on Sep 7, 2010 5:51 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
not to mention he sees us with no future...
think about it… besides Ty and AAA (and Bird/Harrington, but not considered good young players) this team could be completely empty by 2011-2012 (even tho there might be a lockout)… I think he feels that the Nuggets are like the Hornets in that we both had great playoff runs followed by a first round exit (there’s was courtesy of us lol) but NO was horrible last year… I think he truly wants to stay in Denver, but the fact is he doesn’t want to commit to spend his prime here when we really don’t have pieces for the future… If this team had some more young talent around the vets I think he would’ve signed around June/July… the fact is he sees this as being his opportunity to pressure the team to improve (like Paul did) and I hope it works… btw fuck off for wishing injury on another player (especially one who has saved your franchise you ungrateful asshole)
I still think Melo stays, but that’s only if Masai, Kroenke Jr and Bear can improve this team (which I hope they can).
Also anyone know when Masai, GK and the rest of the crew will meet with Melo? It was reported last week they would, but no further updates have come up… jeez this team needs a good writer and misses Travis Heath… maybe they’re waiting for Chauncey to come back from Turkey to join in
Here is a list of some of the better (even that can be taken with a grain of salt) FAs of next summer
Al Horford
Kendrick Perkins
Joakim Noah
Caron Butler
Tyson Chandler
Kenyon Martin
Brandan Wright
Yao
DeAndre Jordan
Marc Gasol
Jeff Green
Nick Collison
Nenad Krstic
Thaddeus Young
Greg Oden
Sam Dalembert
Josh Howard
Al Thornton
Jason Richardson
Jonas Jerebko
If we could land one of these young bigs (Noah, Horford, Gasol, Perkins – most of which are restricted) with cap space nextsummer it could greatly improve the team and keep us young.
we might actually get somebody next year
QUITTER'S PEOPLE UNITED # 3
win/loss records do not matter when you have a magnificent bastard
"If my players don't start producing there'll be more fireworks around here by the Fourth of July than anyone can imagine." The Boss (1982)
"The next time you drive me to the wall, I'll throw you over it."
"What do you mean try? If I want to fire you, I'll fire you." (on martin)
Wow...
Nate/Andrew, could you please remove this trash of a “post”?
Seriously, this guy (or girl…whatever) is no Denver Nuggets fan.
Sounds like a Knicks fan who’s about his/her idiotic heart ripped apart again.
Chris Andersen could be in a porno with his 'stache. Too bad he still wouldn't know how to box out.
"I don't want to be like Brett Favre. I don't want to be like Old Yeller, when they take you behind the barn and shoot you." -Hines Ward-
Quitter's Proud United Member #11
And yes, I just flagged it.
>:]
Chris Andersen could be in a porno with his 'stache. Too bad he still wouldn't know how to box out.
"I don't want to be like Brett Favre. I don't want to be like Old Yeller, when they take you behind the barn and shoot you." -Hines Ward-
Quitter's Proud United Member #11
me too
Quitters People United
Quitter #96
by The U.N. Fab Five on Sep 7, 2010 7:51 PM MDT up reply actions
ZOMG HEZ A QUITTERZZZZ
well we do have a whole club devoting ourselves to his quitness, because Melo quitting is the best type of quitting and something we all aspire to.
"Until you shoot me off my bike I'll keep looking for a contract" - Jens!
Quitter's People United member # 42
Wow.....what the hell is this?
good god. Flagged as well
"If there's a new way....I'll be the first in line. But it better work this time...." Peace Sells....but Who's Buying
Proving that you can be gay and not like Madonna, and rock out to Metal. .
Quitter's People United Member # 78
Lets just hope Melo doesn't read this letter, like he apparently did Andrews
Otherwise we truly are screwed.
Quitter's People United member #7
"Every morning we wake up we got two options, you get better or you get worse. What you gonna do today?" - Steve Hess
ok how many damn letters is melo gonna get
this is getting ridiculous
QUITTER'S PEOPLE UNITED # 3
win/loss records do not matter when you have a magnificent bastard
"If my players don't start producing there'll be more fireworks around here by the Fourth of July than anyone can imagine." The Boss (1982)
"The next time you drive me to the wall, I'll throw you over it."
"What do you mean try? If I want to fire you, I'll fire you." (on martin)
His letter box must be over flowing!
Quitter's People United member #7
"Every morning we wake up we got two options, you get better or you get worse. What you gonna do today?" - Steve Hess
This is complete garbage!
I have spent many days and nights on this site and never have i seen such a poorly constructed and negative post.
"just win Baby"....... unless you draft jamarcus russell
WOW
I know the off-season is long and sometimes we go bat shit trying to fill the void, but you’re nuts! And a real poor sport about this whole thing. Did Melo not give you a fist pound or a bro-hug when you saw him at the mall or something? Keep this venom to yourself. And stop dragging all of the 303 into the tar pit with you.
FIGJAM Bitches!
Via con Dios Brody
Q.P.U. # π
WACK
FULLY WACK
When you were a baby in your crib, your father looked down at you, he had but one wish, that you would grow up to be a man. Well, look at you now. You just got your asses WHUPPED by a bunch of god damn nerds. NERDS!!
QPU #9 #9 #9 #9 #9
What??
The only “offensive” statements made were that Melo made immature decisions for a long time, that Melo quit on the team, and that he hoped Melo would get traded to the Clippers.
The first thing is true. It’s not like Melo’s been perfect. That twitter thing is just another example of it.
The second thing is his opinion. A lot of Clevelanders felt Lebron was quitting on their team after the 7 years he had spent there, and having left ringless. There are definite parallels in the two situations. That’s an opinion.
The last one may have been over the line, but to be honest one offhand jab isn’t a reason to start piling on. It’s not like the Lakers fan who came on that one time after KMart got injured and wrote “YOUR SEASON IS DEAD”
It doesn’t sound like the poster’s “not a Nuggets fan.” It sounds like he very much is one, and has been embittered by the whole process. I can say I have, as a Nuggets fan first and a Melo fan second. I haven’t been posting much lately, just reading, but the reaction to this particular post was strange.
Quitter's People United: Member 12
please note that the poster
originally put that he’d trade Melo to the Clippers for the sole reason that Melo would blow out his acls there. He then recanted this comment.
I personally find it completely inexcusable
to wish grave injury to any player, not just our own Nuggets.
I edited that part out.
Denver Stiffs.com
Denver.SBNation.com
by Nate Timmons on Sep 10, 2010 9:56 AM MDT up reply actions
Wow.
And once again the mob mentality, “let’s string ’em up!” bullying continues.
You know, reading this as an outisder I don’t see where this post comes off as all that irrational or “trash”. So explain it to me… why is this bad? Because a Nuggets fan who hasn’t been completely bullied into not having his own opinion decided to write an “open letter” (like many of the “St. Melo please save us from the evil NY media and everyone who’s against us” beleagured Nuggets fans…) that asks some legitimate questions and isn’t afraid to give his feelings on the subject?
Is it really horrible to wonder at this point if Melo really is the “superstar” that can get this team to a championship? I mean, if it’s fair to question LeBron’s “superstar” status and legacy in Cleveland (no championships, disappearing at key times in the playoffs), then why can’t a Nuggets fan wonder that about Melo? The guy has had plenty of time and plenty of talent to make serious runs at it. Or at least that’s what all the talking heads write on here every year before the season starts. And NOW all of a sudden the team hasn’t put sufficient talent around Melo?
AI, Billups, K-Mart, NeNe, Birdman, Camby, Kleiza, J.R., etc…
That’s not putting talent around you Superstar? Excuses much?
Is the poster not right to question why a player who has repped an area his entire career and finally gets a team that can genuinely compete with the elite of the league is so ready to just walk away to a situation that seems for all intents and purposes much worse and for what seems like a solely selfish and non-basketball gain?
Are we talking about LeBron or Melo here? Because it seems like the two are becoming pretty interchangeable at this point.
Put down the torches, townfolk. You don’t have to burn EVERYONE as witches.
Jeez.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Sep 8, 2010 2:45 PM MDT reply actions 1 recs
The "original" has been edited
The current copy doesn’t reference this poster hoping Melo’s ACL’s blow out after a trade to the Clippers. I think this is the line that got most everyone pretty pissed which I can’t blame them for. It was pretty tasteless.
If that was there then that I completely agree with, Chizz.
That’s completely lame and tasteless.
I don’t like it when it’s written about Kobe and it shouldn’t be written about Melo.
But in general though, the body of writing does raise interesting questions. Beyond the stupidity of wishing someone harm.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Sep 8, 2010 4:12 PM MDT up reply actions
C'mon themanthemyththelegend
You ought to know by now that we don’t take up our torches and pitchforks without good cause, or at least the promise of a tar and feathering followed by a ho-down.
FIGJAM Bitches!
Via con Dios Brody
Q.P.U. # π
Tarring and Feathering! That's what I was forgetting!
Well played, sir.
Well played.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Sep 8, 2010 4:10 PM MDT up reply actions
yeah because all of that talent you just named (save Nene)
were in their prime when they were in Denver.
AI was already a cancer.
Billups is great, but on the wrong side of the hill, as shown by Deron Williams in the playoffs.
K-Mart’s had two microfracture surgeries.
Camby was known as Mr. Glass for a reason and it’s not shotblocking or rebounding related.
Kleiza had to go to Europe for a year to learn to do anything other than shoot threes.
Nene’s had like 2 healthy seasons in the past 4 years and is playing out of position.
JR is JR
And my jury is still out on Birdman. I want to see what he can do this season.
Sorry Nugz, the thing I posted below was supposed to be a reply to you.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Sep 8, 2010 6:12 PM MDT up reply actions
Really? Let's see....
A past his prime PG who can’t really defend anyone and besides his occasional clutch 3 and Hockey Thug Goonery doesn’t really do much else…
An oft-injured C with a fairly fragile ego who can disappear at important times and hasn’t played in a full season in his career…
An off the bench sharpshooter with really greasy hair and a “way too hot for him” girlfriend who make Linus Kleiza look like Reggie Miller in the outside shooting consistency department…
Speaking of benches… would you want to trade anything on your bench for Luke Walton, Mbenga, Vujacic, or the ‘Stache? Yeah, that’s what I figured.
A headcase in J.R.? Please. Tell me about headcases when you’ve got Ron Artest and Lamar Odom on your squad. It’s one thing when you’ve got a player who will occasionally punch someone in the face during a pick-up game. It’s entirely another when you’ve got players who can (and have) simply turned off during an actual league game and parts of a season.
What I’m getting at is with all of that, when you have a “Superstar” and (by and large) coach who simply won’t allow any shortcomings or lunacy affect the bottom line (championships) teams that may not have the most talent can win. It’s what makes them the “Superstars” of the league and gets them the glory. I think that’s the question he’s asking of Melo and I think by this time it’s a legitimate question.
And yes, the Lakers are my squad but I don’t live with Purple & Gold glasses on. I know what crap we’ve got in uniform.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Sep 8, 2010 6:06 PM MDT reply actions
You seem to have forgot someone...
His name starts with a “Pau” and ends with “clearly one of the best big men in the league.” I think he’s from Spain or something.
It’s easy to say nothing should affect the bottom line (championships) and teams can win without the most talent. It’s a lot harder to accomplish. I don’t exactly remember Kobe raking in the championships post-Shaq and pre-Gasol. I’m not ragging on the guy, not at all. I’m simply making the point that you must have talent, and a whole lot of it, in order to win NBA championships. Yea, you might be able to slip in a championship as the 3rd most talented team in any given year, maybe even the 4th most, but those examples are pretty few and far between. If you don’t have two legitimate superstars or a trifecta of three extremely good players, you’re not going to win a championship.
See, and as someone who follows the Nuggets (so sue me, I think like college and consider them a "West Coast" team) like I do....
sees the talent that this team has had.
This team has had the scoring and defensive presence for years now to make it one of the top teams in the NBA. But for whatever reason the mentality and team leadership/direction just isn’t there. And after a while of pointing fingers at everything else, there has to come a time when the fingers get pointed at the one consistent on all those teams… the “Superstar” and his coach. And that’s what the poster was doing.
Believe me, I’ll be the first to say that there was a season or two when Kobe was mailing it in because the talent he had around him post-Shaq was atrocious. As a fan I won’t ever forgive that. And at the time I’d be the first to tell you he wasn’t the best player in the game because of it. But I think he really saw his legacy slipping away and he forced the teams hand to get him some legitimate help (Pau) and he went back to being (mentally) the 3peat championship Kobe.
To me, the talent Denver has had these last several seasons far exceeded what was on the Lakers teams when we went though the “lean times” (that’s actually pretty embarrassing to write) and I think it’s a legitimate question to wonder if Melo is really the star this team can have to take it over the top.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Sep 8, 2010 6:47 PM MDT reply actions
I'm curious then...
what do you believe the expectations should have been during Melo’s career? WCF two years ago seemed pretty legit as a ceiling. I have a really hard time judging last year’s team with the whole Karl situation (I can just imagine what Lakers apologists would say if Phil Jackson went down). 3 years and before? Sure, maybe there should have been a second round trip in there instead of all 1st round exits but that’s kind of nitpicking. Melo’s teams in his first years were pretty bad and then in the AI years Nene was injured for just about all of them. Kobe’s team in that post-Shaq, pre-Gasol include a couple of non-playoff years and first round exits as well.
Your underlying question is “If Melo is really the star that can take this team over the top?” What has he had to take over the top with? What superstar big man has he had at anytime during his career? If you replaced Melo with Kobe on LA’s roster and he didn’t win a championship, then sure, absolutely I’d say he’s not a legitimate championship-level superstar. We can’t do that though can we?
I'm with you
Melo’s selfishness and some injuries last year killed the team. I still want him back though because I think he really can take the Nugs to the promissed land.
Expectations for Melo? Honestly?
Championship. Same with LeBron. Championship.
With all the gagging done over CP3, Rondo and even to a certain extent DWade, I really only see LBJ and Melo as the two “new generation” guys who can be truly transcendent like Kobe, Duncan & Shaq have been. They have that star quality and the physical tools to back it up.
And when you see players that way, you have to expect more from them.
I expect more from Melo, just like I do LeBron. They both had organizations who were willing to step up and put talent around them and in the end it falls on them to take the team to the next level.
"Remember kids......... petty and cheap shot-ish doesn't make you a true fan, it just makes you petty and cheap shot-ish."
by Themanthemyththelegend on Sep 8, 2010 7:44 PM MDT reply actions
That's where the disconnect occurs...
Just because an organization is “willing to step up and put talent around them” doesn’t mean they actually do. Throwing money around doesn’t guarantee anything. Just ask the Knicks for the past decade. I can’t imagine any person on this planet that could label LeBron’s supporting cast in Cleveland as talented, much less championship material. I cut LeBron more slack than Carmelo as Melo has had better teammates surrounding him but I have a hard time saying any of these Nuggets teams have been championship material either.
I also expect championships from guys like LeBron, Melo, Kobe, D-Wade, Durant, etc. However, I understand that this is a team game and no matter how incredibly dominating or special or incredible a single player is, that player is ultimately at the mercy of his front office to surround him with a talented and complementary supporting cast. No one man can win a championship. This has been proved uummm… a lot.
After what LeBron has been through for the last 7 years in Cleveland, I can hardly blame him for anything he’s done this offseason. I would have joined Bosh and D-Wade in Siberia, much less in Miami. If I were him, “The Decision” would have had a giant neon sign flashing behind me saying “*&$# you Danny Ferry for wasting 7 years of my life. Sorry for the roster that’s left Cleveland fans.” I mean seriously, what else could LeBron do?
Unduly negative, but not completely unjust...
that’s how I see the lead post here. It did provoke some discussion though, and that is never all bad.
If Karl’s health holds, the Nuggets as they now stand can be contenders, and they have a 2 or 3 year window before Chauncy, Harrington and Birdman completely fade. If they get ahold of a serious big, they are scary and Laker-ready. The surrounding talent issue is highly addressable.
In other words, Melo’s best bet by far for a ring (if that is the real issue) is an extension in Denver. It’s also by far his best bet economically, especially with a probable reduction in max contract levels under the coming CBA.
If he wants to leave anyway, maybe he’s just unhappy in Denver – and none of the above can change that. Eddie Johnson did an interesting piece along these lines at Hoopshype.com.
Melo has many faults, but what he brings as a player is very, very rare. I just hope he stays and gets his ring in the Mile High. All this verbiage will then be instantly and rightly forgotten.
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