Carmelo Anthony is often criticized for not having an NBA championship in his resume. Despite failing to win the elusive Larry O’Brien trophy, Jay Pharaoh believes that the New York Knicks legend has done enough to prove his greatness.
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The comedian showered Anthony with lofty praise during his appearance on the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast. Pharaoh was in awe of Melo’s performance whenever the former got a chance to catch a Knicks game.
“Every time I saw you brother I’ve always seen you turn up… It’s always like you had something to prove,” Pharoah said.
Pharaoh has been a huge admirer of the sharpshooter even before he played a professional game. Anthony’s sensational run during his Syracuse days led to the SNL star having faith in his abilities.
“I remember when I was watching and they would doing the draft back when I was in high school, I remember it was you and LeBron and I said ‘Melo’s got something to prove’ and I think you proved it brother. I think you’re one of the greatest players that we have had,” Pharoah lauded Anthony.
Anthony’s missing a few crucial pieces of silverware in his trophy cabinet. But, despite never winning the championship or the MVP, Melo established himself as one of the best scorers in the league’s history.
Melo retired as a 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA player, 1x Scoring Champion, 3x Olympic Gold Medalist, 1x Olympic Bronze Medalist, and has many more achievements. On top of that, he’s 10th among NBA career-scoring leaders.
Anthony’s one of the best Knicks player ever
Carmelo Anthony had an instant impact when the Nuggets drafted him. In eight seasons with the organization, the 6ft 7” player recorded 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. During this period, Melo was even selected to four All-Star Teams.
However, it was the Knicks who got Melo during the prime of his career. He was traded to the organization midway into the 2010-2011 season and had a lasting impact. He led the Knicks to the playoffs, snapping a six-year drought.
The swingman averaged 24.7 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in the following seven campaigns. While he was unlucky to witness success in the postseason, Anthony further made it to six All-Star Games and finished top 3 in the MVP voting on one instance.
Anthony retired earlier during the 2024 offseason as one of the best pure scorers to grace the NBA hardwood. While players in the league began tossing up multiple three-pointers, Melo was one of the few individuals keeping the mid-range jumper alive.
