As I sit back and think about the trade that went down — which sent Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 2nd-round pick — tears began to swell in my eyes.
Well, not really, but I was sad to see Melo go.
I remembered all the good times us Knicks fans had with Melo before Phil Jackson got his grubby hands involved.
Remember the 2012-13 season when Melo led the Knicks to a 54-28 record and a second round appearance in the playoffs? Before that, the Knicks haven’t seen the second round since 2000. During that time, people were still ecstatic about there being no Armageddon once the clock struck twelve on New Year’s Day. That season, Melo had his best season as a Knick, and he was an MVP candidate.
Which reminds me — shout out to that one voter who submitted a first-place vote for Melo to win MVP! To true Knicks fans, you’re the real MVP champ!
Also, Knicks fans, remember what happened on January 24th, 2014? For those who have forgotten, that was the day Melo dropped 62 points on a lousy Bobcats team, which was a career-high for him, and it set a new Madison Square Garden record for the most points scored in a game. That season was a bust for the Knicks overall, but Melo provided a memorable moment that Knicks fans will forever cherish.
Shortly afterwards, Phil Jackson took over as the President of Operations, and from then on, the Knicks really became a circus. The Knicks had more acts than Barnum and Bailey!
Jackson — in my best Stephen A. impersonation — had the temerity, the unmitigated gall to drag Melo through the mud in front of the media when Melo wasn’t the problem. Under Jackson’s tenure, Melo had over 70 different teammates. Who can have sustained success with a roster that constantly changes from year to year? Also, Jackson flexed his muscle and pushed the head coaches he hired to run the triangle. This was an issue because the players had no interest to play in that system of offense, and the Knicks didn’t have the players to run the triangle effectively.
Instead of leaving the head coaches alone, and allow them to run their offense as they see fit, Jackson instead wanted to interfere, with his beady eyes, and tell them how to coach like as if he’s the one on the bench with the players.
Due to Jackson’s incompetence as an executive, he lowered the value of Melo to NBA teams, and the new GM, Scott Perry, had to settle for some skittles and a pack of peanuts in return for trading Melo to the Thunder.
Don’t get it twisted, Kanter is a very solid big man, who can get buckets at will, and his footwork is probably top five in the NBA, and McDermott is, well, decent. Sometimes his shot falls, and at other times, he throws up more bricks than a Brownstone in Brooklyn, but the fact of the matter is, if Jackson never lowered the value of Melo during his tenure with the Knicks, Perry would have had more leverage to level a team that wanted to earn Melo’s services.
Regardless, Melo deserves to play for a team that will have a legit shot at making a championship run and teaming up with Russell Westbrook and Paul George, in Oklahoma City, will allow him to chase the coveted championship ring that has escaped his grasp throughout his career.
As for the Knicks, Kristaps Porzingis will be given the keys to the whip, and he has now been given the task to drive these young Knicks to the Promised Land. It’ll be exciting to see what the future holds for the new, young core, Knicks.
Thank you Melo for your time as a Knick! True Knicks fans truly appreciate you and wish you the best in Oklahoma City.
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday, but we did, and now, it’s time for a new era of Knicks basketball!
