Carmelo Anthony recently opened up about his infamous on-court altercation with Kevin Garnett. In the latest episode of 7PM in Brooklyn, the 39-year-old revealed the intricate details surrounding the decade-old incident. Despite the fallout, Melo confessed to respecting Garnett’s game, putting forward an important aspect of sportsmanship.
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In January 2013 Anthony’s New York Knicks hosted KG’s Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Early into the fourth quarter, the Celtics forward directed certain words toward the Knicks forward during one possession. It infuriated the latter, sparking an altercation between them before their teammates intervened to de-escalate the situation.
Thus, looking back, Melo highlighted that instance as the only beef in his entire NBA career.
“Garnett. It was that. On my side was a real issue that could have been a beef. It could have went somewhere else that it ain’t have to go,” he mentioned. “I was already there. It takes a lot for me to get to that space. So once I was there, it was no coming back,” he stated highlighting the seriousness of the incident.
Following this, the 6ft 7″ NBA icon recalled visiting the Celtics team bus to receive clarification from the 2008 champion. “We spoke right after that the same day after the incident we spoke on the bus and I said what I had to say, he said what he had to say,” he highlighted. Since then, the 10x All-Star kept himself at arm’s length from Garnett as the exchange made him question, “You really feel like this?”.
Despite the differences, the situation never diminished Melo’s respect for KG’s gameplay. “He was somebody that I respected. He was somebody that I looked up to,” he mentioned before adding, “You will always remain my favorite power forward.”
It showcased the maturity of the New Yorker as he never failed to separate emotions from talent. That’s why, he went to the 47-year-old looking for answers rather than forming a conclusion in his head based on on-court interaction.
Soon after that, the 2013 scoring champion even extracted a life lesson from the situation as he learned to deal with competitors better. Yet, in the end, the tough experiences failed to overshadow his love for the game and its greatest players.
What did Kevin Garnett say about the incident?
Soon after the incident, speculations began on what the visitor possibly could have said to enrage Anthony. A popular belief came to the forefront as many suspected KG commenting on Melo’s family. The reports hinted at the 15x All-Star allegedly mentioning the Knicks star’s then-wife La La Anthony tasting “like Honey Nut Cheerios”.
Despite maintaining silence on the matter for nearly a decade, the 2004 MVP eventually shared his stance on the matter. “I’ve never said anything about anyone’s family. I’ve never said anything to Melo about La La,” he mentioned. “I’m a Frosted Flakes man. I’m not a Honey Nut Cheerios guy,” Garnett further added.
La La too had rejected the popular notion long back through her book, ‘The Love Playbook’. In 2014 she wrote, “Kevin Garnett in fact had never said that I tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios”. She further highlighted, “I tried to figure out how this big lie was turned into a media firestorm. I still can’t answer that one. Melo and Kevin are cool today”.
It showcased the admiration from Garnett’s side as he refused to hold on to that instance. Despite getting engaged in brawls on several occasions throughout his journey, he seemed to have treated this one a bit differently. It further proved how the duo had resolved the disagreement long back, shedding light on their understanding nature as athletes.
