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“Don’t know how to explain plus-minus but I know minus is bad!”: Carmelo Anthony hilariously reacts to having the highest plus-minus in Lakers loss to the Hornets

Samir Mehdi
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Carmelo Anthony illegally lost $2 million and took the financial matter to court

Carmelo Anthony admits that he doesn’t know what box score plus-minus is but knows that having a negative +/- is bad. 

Carmelo Anthony has been teetering on the edge of being classified as a ‘journeyman player’ for quite some time now. He spent less than half a season with the Rockets, one season with the Thunder prior to that, had two stellar campaigns with the Blazers, helping rejuvenate his career, and is now with LeBron James and the Lakers. 

Despite being 37-years old, Melo has been quite the player for the purple and gold in one aspect alone: floor spacing. Having LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook out on the floor at the same time doesn’t leave space for players who can actually provide some much needed shooting.

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Carmelo Anthony has re-invented his game in his stage of his career to be that guy. He’s averaging near identical stats to his previous season with Damian Lillard and company, putting up 13.4 points on38% shooting from beyond the arc. 

Carmelo Anthony on his plus-minus from last night. 

With the way Carmelo Anthony approached the way all throughout his career, it’s evident that he never paid attention to the stat sheet night in and night out. And well, why should he when he was one of the best scorers in the league for well over a decade. 

Last night’s bout against the Charlotte Hornets saw the Lakers put up quite the second half display of bravado with Russell Westbrook leading the charge. Melo didn’t have all too efficient of a shooting night but did knock down his free throws and was 5/12 overall from the field.

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Even though he had a poor shooting, he was a team high +20. Following the game, a reporter asked Anthony about this to which he replied by saying he doesn’t even know what +/-. 

To be fair, if you’re going to be a net positive for your team, looking up your stats and knowing what they mean doesn’t really matter anyway. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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