All things considered, Carmelo Anthony has had a pretty amazing career. In 18 years as an NBA star, he made 10 All-Star appearances, 6 All-NBA teams, and captured a scoring title back in 2013, when he averaged 28.7 points per game.
Still, the basketball legend hasn’t been fortunate enough to find the right situation.
All throughout his career, including his stints in Denver, New York, OKC, Houston, and Portland, Anthony has been unable to get past the Conference Finals, whether by poor luck or mismanagement.
But did you know that things almost turned out much, much different for Melo? Apparently back in the early 2000s, the rising young prospect received word from the Pistons that they would pick him up in the upcoming draft.
At the time, Detroit was a really good team that wound up winning the Championship during Anthony’s rookie season. Remembering Detroit’s promise, Melo fully believed he was headed to the Motor City, and it likely would have resulted in some major success.
“I think if I was there, they win another (title),” Anthony said on the “All The Smoke” podcast. “I wouldn’t jump out there and say we three-peat. I think we’d go back-to-back if I’m there. … They were all vets, I would have learned from those guys. And that second year coming back, I would have been a totally different player coming back.”
Melo was 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝 to be drafted by the Pistons 😳
He believes that decision changed the course of his career. #ATS100 | @carmeloanthony pic.twitter.com/vof21kguTH
— All the Smoke (@allthesmokeprod) August 17, 2021
Carmelo, who doesn’t have a single Championship to his name, would probably have some hardware by now. The Pistons, who have become one of the NBA’s most helpless franchises, might be in better shape now had they made the right move back then.
But, of course, the Pistons betrayed Carmelo on Draft night, electing to sign Darko Milicic with the No. 2 overall pick, leaving Anthony to get picked up by Denver.
It was a truly epic misstep by the Pistons, and one Melo has not forgotten.
“Changed the course of my career,” Anthony said. “I’mma tell you what, man: To this day, I still think about that… because I’m like, they promised me. ‘We taking you, we taking you.’ I’m talking about all the way up to draft day.
So in my mind, I’m going to Detroit.”
Carmelo is on the Lakers now, where he’ll have another chance to capture that elusive title. And while nobody can call his career failure, it’s hard not to think what could have been had Detroit made a different decision on Draft day.
