The tension between Carmelo Anthony and his former team, the Denver Nuggets, seems to persist.
Anthony, originally drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the 2003 NBA Draft, recently stirred headlines by criticizing his ex-team for what he deemed a “petty” move involving Nikola Jokic.
Now, the Syracuse alum finds himself in a dispute with his former Nuggets coach, George Karl.
During a recent episode of his podcast “7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & Kid Mero,” the 10-time All-Star recounted a surprising initial conversation with Karl. According to Anthony, Karl kicked off their relationship by labeling his new star player as “overrated” and drawing comparisons to two-time Sixth Man of the Year, Detlef Schrempf.
Karl, in response, addressed the issue and even reiterated his comparison to Schrempf, prompting Anthony to share the exchange on his podcast.
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While Schrempf had a respectable career, making three All-Star appearances and earning an All-NBA selection in 1995, he never averaged more than 19.1 points per game. In contrast, Anthony maintained an average of 22.5 points per game throughout his 19-year career.
Karl took over as Nuggets coach midway through the 2004-05 season, replacing Jeff Bzdelik. Despite the rocky start with Anthony, Karl led the Nuggets to a 49-33 record that season, following a 13-15 start under Bzdelik’s tenure.
Anthony experienced his most successful playoff run under Karl in 2009 when the Nuggets reached the Western Conference Finals, suggesting that perhaps Karl’s tough approach had a positive impact on him over time.
