Despite nearly 15 years passing since Carmelo Anthony orchestrated his departure from Denver to join the New York Knicks via trade, evident animosity still lingers between him and his former coach George Karl.
Over the President’s Day Weekend, both Anthony, aged 39, and Karl, aged 72, engaged in a social media spat, sparked by remarks Anthony made about their time together on his podcast.
The exchange commenced on the 16th when Karl reacted to Anthony’s comments regarding their stint in Denver, stating, “Carmelo, let’s refrain from revisiting this. You’re recounting tales from two decades ago. Let’s focus on the present. And as for your skills, they were overrated; you long for the efficiency of Detlef’s game.”
Hey @carmeloanthony let’s not do this. You’re telling stories that are 20 years old. Let’s move fwd 💪
And u were overrated and u wish your game was as efficient as Detlef’s. 😆
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) February 16, 2024
Following Melo’s response with a series of laughing emojis, Karl escalated the exchange by stating, “We all know you’re passive-aggressive, Melo, so be genuine. What’s the significance of this?”
Continuing over the subsequent days, Karl reiterated his stance, asserting that Melo was inexperienced and overrated when he initially coached him, while praising Detlef Schrempf as one of the premier international players with exceptional efficiency. Karl also expressed himself as the last individual in Denver advocating for the Nuggets to recognize Melo’s contributions.
Further engaging with the topic, Karl conducted a Twitter poll querying NBA fans about whether Carmelo should be “honored for his prime years, notably in Denver under my coaching.” The poll results showed 46% in favor, 41% against, and 11% uncertain. Karl then leveraged these results to propose appearing on Melo’s podcast.
Close results!! I’m willing to chop it up and hash things out on your show, Melo. Are u??@carmeloanthony @7PMinBrooklyn https://t.co/xOaKv9kkZL pic.twitter.com/QmrklZbjgr
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) February 18, 2024
Indeed, Karl’s observation about Carmelo’s peak years being in Denver holds merit. Despite his stint with the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony failed to achieve significant success with the team. His later years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers were comparatively unremarkable, indicating that his prime was arguably during his time with the Denver Nuggets.
