Athletes today are constantly under the microscope of keyboard warriors around the world, waiting for one small misstep — personal or professional — that could trigger a flurry of social media posts capable of testing even the strongest minds. Players like Carmelo Anthony did not have to grow up with that added worry. Sadly, he can’t say the same about his son.
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Kiyan is following in the footsteps of his father, who was recently inducted into the Hall of Fame. It was Kiyan who put the jacket on Anthony’s shoulders, creating for a moment that will be remembered in their family for generations.
The torch has officially been passed from Carmelo to Kiyan now, as he will don the Syracuse orange, just like his dad. But the journey won’t be completely the same, of course. He’s Melo’s son, and for that reason, there will always be an unreal amount of expectation from him. On top of that, because he’s a famous kid heading into college, it’s unlikely that the media will leave him alone. That’s why Carmelo expressed his worry in a recent SLAM interview.
“I’m glad I don’t have to deal with what you have to deal with from a media standpoint,” the New York Knicks legend said to his son. “I thought media in my time was crazy…”
Carmelo noted how, back in his day, the newspaper journalists or magazine columnists who would attack them with words were easily recognizable. Their names appeared right next to their work, and identification was easy enough. Today, the anonymity of social media has turned almost everyone around the world into an expert.
“You can’t identify that,” Carmelo further said to Kiyan. “Everyone in the world is a columnist, a beat writer, or a journalist. I’m glad I didn’t have to deal with that.”
In some ways, the media was harsher during Anthony’s era, as controversies seemed more believable. Personal lives were targeted far too often, and because the concept of ‘fake news’ or ‘engagement farming’ hadn’t emerged, what the public saw was what they believed.
Today, online news is met with more skepticism. People like to fact-check, especially when the story seems bizarre. Regardless, the spotlight shines brighter than ever, and one misstep can trigger a chain reaction. A video, a few reshares, and suddenly millions are pointing fingers at you, or worse, laughing at you.
Carmelo Anthony’s problem with NBA media
You cannot be a great player without being open to criticism. And although no one would openly invite it, criticism allows players to work on their weaker areas. But for that to happen, the criticism has to be constructive. It can’t just be, “Oh, he’s a bad person off the court, that’s why he didn’t make that pass in the clutch.”
That’s what’s wrong with NBA media today, Carmelo feels. The 41-year-old hates that people are always out to assassinate the character of anyone they dislike, instead of focusing on the one thing that really matters when discussing the NBA—the game itself.
“Let’s talk strategy, the why,” Melo said in an interview earlier this year. “Why is nobody talking about that? There are so many former players who get up there who don’t talk about that kind of stuff. It becomes about what they have done. And because of what you have done, you start to degrade…”
Even so-called experts in their suits love taking shots at players just for the sake of it. Take Skip Bayless’ relentless attacks on LeBron James, or Kendrick Perkins’ bold takes on good players ‘not having it anymore.’
There’s something wrong with NBA media, and Anthony wants it to change by talking more about the game and less about players’ lives off the court.
