- Patrick Mahomes is the best player in the NFL right now
- Mahomes was asked who was his favorite basketball player growing up
- The two-time Super Bowl champion revealed it was Carmelo Anthony as he liked to go against the grain
Carmelo Anthony was one of the very best players of his generation, and it turns out he made a great impression on Patrick Mahomes. The reigning NFL MVP was asked to name his favorite basketball player growing up, and he explained why it was Carmelo, over the likes of LeBron James.
“At that time, I was a Carmelo Anthony fan,” Mahomes said. “I was going the other way. You had LeBron. Everybody was a LeBron fan, I loved LeBron, but at the same time, I wanted to have that guy, Denver Nuggets, him shooting the Melo, the three sign on the side of the head. He goes to the Knicks and so I was a big Carmelo fan growing up.”
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Anthony never managed to win an NBA championship, but he did make quite an impact on the generation that came after him. The 10-time All-Star was an incredible iso-scorer and Paul Pierce said Anthony was tougher to guard than both LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
Considering how great those two were, that’s saying something.
Carmelo Anthony Shone For The Nuggets
Carmelo’s tenure with the Denver Nuggets ended on a sour note, but he was so special during his time there. In seven and a half seasons, he averaged 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game.
In 2009, he led the Nuggets to their first appearance in the Western Conference Finals since 1985. They faced Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers there, and while Anthony played well, they lost in six games to the eventual champions.
Until Nikola Jokic came around, Melo was easily the greatest player in modern history for the Nuggets.
Will Barton Says Carmelo Anthony Is One Of The 15 Greatest Players Ever
Mahomes is, of course, far from being the only one who thinks highly of Anthony. Will Barton played 11 seasons in the NBA, and he believes Carmelo is right up there with the true greats of the game.
Barton stated Anthony is one of the 15 greatest players ever if you go by the eye test. He pointed to Carmelo’s diverse offensive game, as there really wasn’t much he couldn’t do on that end of the floor.
We can’t really go by something as arbitrary as an eye test, though. Also, if Melo is indeed one of the 15 greatest ever, he should have had more success in the postseason.
While you may look past him never winning a title, that Conference Finals appearance with the Nuggets was the only time in his career that Anthony advanced past the second round. That simply isn’t good enough and will always be something held against him in these discussions.
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