Before Forceful Exit From $3.9 Billion Team, Carmelo Anthony Left Ex-NBA Star With Haunting Encounter

Years after hanging up his jersey, Carmelo Anthony’s dominance still remains as impactful as it was before. Despite the one flaw that Yao Ming teased him about, the Hall of Famer had an unmatched fast pace and skills on the court. In just one year with Syracuse, he led them to a championship. And even now, years removed from the hardwood, his former rivals still remember his explosive performances.

The then-rookie carried his team, the Denver Nuggets, to the playoffs every year from 2004 to 2010. However, it was back in 2009 when the 10x NBA All-Star carried the team to its first Conference Finals appearance since 1985. But as fate would have it, he had to consider looking for a new home in 2010, which became the Knicks. But his epic run with the Nuggets isn’t forgotten.

Just recently, in a conversation on The Young Man and The Three, Nicolas Batum opened up about facing Melo on the court. “Denver Melo was crazy. Like, at the beginning of my career, so I was young, was skinny, and my job, I was starting, but I had to guard the best opponent. And Denver Melo, I would say, like, he had everything. He was strong first, but post-up, drive, threes, pull-up, like,  jab, like, turnaround, bully ball, like, everything. Like, I mean, I always say he’s the toughest guy I had to guard in my career,” he said.

Batum gained traction as an elite defender, while Anthony is one of the legendary scorers who showed his best while playing for the Nuggets and Knicks. During his time with the $3.9 billion-valued franchise (as per Forbes), the Denver Nuggets, Melo averaged 24.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

In 2011, he was traded to the Knicks. But why did he choose to leave? Over the years, he hasn’t hesitated to share his side of the story. In one of the recent segments of the podcast 7PM in Brooklyn, Melo explained that despite their success in making it to the Western Conference Finals, the team started rebuilding without informing him. “When I get to Denver, they hit me with the same s— they start to rebuild,” he said.

Carmelo Anthony smiles as he talks to the media after being introduced as a member of the Naismith Class of 2025 in San Antonio, Texas Saturday April 5, 2025. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY SAT20250405102 AARONxJOSEFCZYK

While he wanted to stay with the Nuggets, Melo ultimately chose to be traded to the Knicks. His wish initially faced some resistance from the franchise, but they ultimately agreed. Melo had a great run with the Knicks, but it sure came with its share of struggles.

With that, another retired NBA player also remembers his game very well, but for a different reason!

Why did Yao Ming tease Carmelo Anthony?

Was Carmelo Anthony overweight during his NBA days? That could be up for debate, but one thing is certain: his weight never stopped him from delivering stunning performances every time he stepped on the court. However, he indeed appears to be in much better shape now than during his playing days. And former Houston Rockets star Yao Ming didn’t miss the chance to poke fun at that.

The two met in Shanghai over dinner and wine, and the 44-year-old Yao was quick to tease him, “When we played, you were always overweight.” When Melo joined the Portland Trail Blazers, he reportedly weighed around 240 pounds. This was during the final stretch of his career. 

However, by the time he joined the Lakers, he had lost around 5 to 10 pounds and looked to be in some of the best shape of his career. “Believe it or not, I believe I only lost like 5 pounds or something like that. I think it’s just redistributed; the body fat that has been cut is kind of what you are seeing. The weight is the same. I usually fluctuate between 3 pounds, but the body fat has come down,” the 10x NBA All-Star told The Athletic. 

Since then, the former New York Knicks player seems to have dedicated himself to maintaining his fitness. That kind of determination often becomes even more important after retirement, a time when many athletes tend to lose focus on physical conditioning.

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