Photo by: Clarion
Hours before this column was sent to the printer, I had to abandon my previous 500-word column in favor of something new.
In fact, I had prepared an entire column based on former Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, noting how his departure from the Mile High City needed to be expedited.
Although my wishes have been granted, I must pay the price by filling the white space that lies below.
As you must know by now, Carmelo, donned as ‘Melo, has been traded in a blockbuster, mid-season trade that will certainly be the buzz of the sports world in the days that follow.
The only definite to come from the mega deal is the fact that the Eastern Conference is now, without a doubt, the power conference in the NBA.
Besides that, my feeling on the subject is only extreme gratification toward both sides for agreeing to a deal and ending this diva auction that had become the hottest sports story since last summer when LeBron held the nation on pins and needles while he conceived his ego-quenching “the Decision.”
The worst thing about the ‘Melo saga was that the fact it was the same recycled storyline.
However, the difference was ‘Melo was traded and didn’t select New York on national television.With that said, the ‘Melo story still parallels the LeBron arc to a certain extent.
I mean he’s not hosting a self-publicized TV broadcast yet, but what will he think of himself now that he is in the Big Apple, in the biggest market in the league, playing for an all-of-a-sudden contender with the potential to revive Madision Square Garden?
In short, I just don’t think that a player who at one point could have been traded for a total of four first round draft picks will not have a massive ego. It comes with the territory of being a basketball player, especially now that ‘Melo knows his real value in the league.
So, the question now is, has the ‘Melo-Drama ended or has it just begun?
Time will tell us eventually, and whether or not Anthony can coexist with new teammate Amar’e Stoudemire is something else to be debated .
What’s really interesting is the fact that nobody thought ‘Melo had any power in this struggle, yet, in reality, he held it all.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Ian Thomsen, “Everyone [knew he wanted] to play for the Knicks, dating back to his August meeting with the Nuggets in which he requested a preseason trade to either New York or Chicago,” which left the superstar without any “leverage,” while trade offers were launched.
However, ‘Melo’s demands ended up being answered, and the star complained his way out of going to play for the Nets, so he could further propel his NYC dreams.
And the Nuggets gave in. They silenced the ‘Melo-Drama, and now they return to irrelevancy – the price a team has to pay these days when a superstar wants to run away.
