Carmelo Anthony is one of the most polarizing players in the entire NBA. For years, he has been known as a gifted scorer who hasn’t had very much success when it comes to the postseason. After leaving the New York Knicks, Melo played for the Oklahoma City Thunder and eventually, the Houston Rockets. His career seemed all but over at the start of the season until the Portland Trail Blazers through him a lifeline. Now, Melo is in the midst of a resurgence and fans are loving it.
The star recently claimed that he would have won two NBA championships had he been drafted by the Detroit Pistons instead of the Denver Nuggets. On ESPN’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith gave his own analysis of the situation. As he explains in the clip below, Melo would have won at least one title although he thinks a second would have certainly been possible.
Smith makes an interesting point as the Eastern Conference was a tad bit weaker at the time. Melo had to get through Kobe Bryant and the Lakers as well as the San Antonio Spurs in order to make the Finals which during the mid to late 2000s, was an impossible task.
It’s not good to dwell on what-ifs but it’s certainly fun to think about what could have been, especially in relation to careers and the narratives that follow them.