Carmelo Anthony is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to never win an NBA championship, an unfortunate title borne by several players. As a fan, ESPN broadcaster Stephen A. Smith hoped to see Anthony play in an NBA Finals. In a recent episode of “Gil’s Arena“, however, he also claimed that the forward would have won at least one title had he been drafted by the Detroit Pistons.
While speaking on the matter, Smith said:
“You know how badly I wanted to see Carmelo Anthony in the NBA Finals, man? Because I know who he is. I know that brother is not going to shrink in the spotlight. Whatever you see him do, you put that brother on center stage, in that moment, he’s going to rise up.”
“It’s a damn shame. Because if Joe Dumars had drafted him instead of Darko Milicic, Carmelo Anthony has a title, if not two. There’s no way he doesn’t have a title.”
The statement presented an intriguing hypothetical situation for the panel to discuss. Gilbert Arenas didn’t necessarily agree with this sentiment, as he pointed out how Larry Brown, Detroit’s coach at the time, didn’t like rookies much. But Smith quickly addressed this by reiterating that Joe Dumars decided to draft Darko Milicic ahead of Carmelo Anthony.
Smith continued by emphasizing that Dumars’ decision catered to the Pistons’ need for a big man at the time. He added:
“His whole mentality was that, we didn’t need it, but we needed another big. But Carmelo Anthony was Carmelo Anthony coming out of Syracuse, a national champion, an All-American, and what he brought to the table. It’s instant buckets. You know what he’s going to bring. And if you know anything about Melo, even though he is Melo, that town was made for him.”
Smith concluded by pointing out that acquiring Melo would have simply allowed the Pistons to stay level while the franchise was on the verge of a collapse after their title success.
He also stated that, given the depth of the 2003 draft class, they could have managed that with any of the other top 5 picks in the draft. Unfortunately, their decision to select Milicic altered the course of events.
Anthony was drafted by the Denver Nuggets with the third overall pick. With the Nuggets, the forward quickly found himself becoming a star, even finishing 14th in MVP voting in his rookie season.
His development into an offensive weapon was immediate, as he saw a significant increase in his scoring output after his sophomore season. The creativity and sheer technical ability he possessed saw him establish himself as one of the best scorers in the league very early on.
As brilliant as Anthony was individually, he struggled to record success in the postseason. Although he and the Nuggets made it as far as the Western Conference Finals in the 2008-09 season, their run was cut short by the Los Angeles Lakers, who eventually won it all that year.
Anthony continued to grow in stature as an offensive player and a star with the New York Knicks. Despite his brilliance, the Knicks failed to record postseason success.
The drop-off in his career after parting ways with New York was drastic, featuring stints with the Thunder, the Rockets, the Trail Blazers, and the Lakers. He eventually retired after the 2021-22 season.
He put up an average of 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game for his career. With 10 All-Star appearances, six All-NBA team selections, one scoring title, and a selection to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Anthony had himself an illustrious career even without any title success to show for it.
