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Denver’s reaction to the eventual Melo-to-Knicks trade said it all…
You were hard-pressed to find Nuggets fans who would admittedly miss Carmelo, most saying instead that they were happy to see him go and to get something in return.
No… Denverites were fine with Anthony heading to New York. It was Chauncey Billups’ exit from his reunion tour with the Nuggets that stung. Make no mistake about it: Denver sports fans are fuming about hometown hero Chauncey getting caught up in this mess.
So what does that say about Carmelo? About his legacy in Denver? Certainly it says something telling.
Not that Denver fans will soon be forgetting seven straight trips to the playoffs during the Anthony Era. Not that Melo taking Chauncey to New York with him makes the Nuggets’ 2009 run to the Western Conference Finals any less awesome or memorable.
But you always got the feeling that Carmelo saw himself as bigger than Denver. Perhaps rightfully so considering Melo’s success as an Olympian and his loyal league-wide following.
But Billups was a FIBA World Champion last year, a far rarer feat for US Basketball. Billups has an NBA Title plus a Champ Series MVP under his belt too, and he was never bigger than Denver. Chauncey the Champion, Big Shot Billups, was still the Prince of Park Hill. Not bigger than Denver, Chauncey was Denver.
Even when he signed his first contract extension with the Nuggets in 2006, it was more that Anthony had poor representation and ended up jumping at the first big-money offer of his young career. Had Melo hit the open market following his rookie contract, you better believe he ends up in Dallas, Miami or even Los Angeles. Anthony had little loyalty to Denver, and so it was not entirely surprising to see that Denver had little loyalty to Melo.
Really, though, the Denver fan base has no reason to dislike the man. (Carmelo didn’t drag Billups to NYC, Masai Ujiri sent him there.) What we had with Melo was a business arrangement wherein all parties sought wins. What we had with Chauncey was (still is) more real because it was a two-way street. Billups loved being in Denver and the city loved having its hometown hero. The contrast is perfect.
The Nuggets got their fair chances to grasp an elusive NBA Championship with Anthony around, but fate had other plans. Were it not for the balky knees of Kenyon Martin, a host of injuries to Nene Hilario and the tragic timing of George Karl’s second battle with cancer, Denver gets more than one shot at winning the Wild West. With the way this team was playing halfway through last season, a strong playoff run seemed inevitable.
Perhaps with the scent of a Championship Series on the wind, Anthony sticks it out in Denver and signs the Nuggets’ 3-year $65 million offer over the summer. Despite his obvious desire to play on a bigger stage, Carmelo would have stayed in the Mile High City if he thought an NBA Title was in the works. That’s just good business.
Somewhere along the way, though, Anthony decided that he was done betting his playoff chances on Kenyon’s knees or JR’s three-point shooting. Even with a proven winner like Billups leading the charge, the Nuggets must have started looking second-rate compared to the continued dominance of the Lakers, the return to prominence of the Spurs, and the high ceiling of the Mavericks.
So here we are, Nuggets fans, watching Melo graduate from our mini-mecca on the high plains to the Big Apple – crown of the crowded northeast.
Anthony took his shots here, and either through circumstance or generosity Carmelo replenished Denver with a whole host of playable/tradable young talents as he left. We should all think on him fondly, welcome him back once a year with cheers, and not begrudge him his opportunity to play every other night in the Manhattan basketball theater that is Madison Square Gardens.
The Nuggets are in a good place now despite the heart-wrenching loss of Billups. A new Collective Bargaining Agreement looms, and Denver has such flexibility and fresh, inexpensive talent as to be the envy of the majority of the NBA. We are no Cleveland, and even without Melo the Nuggets will likely remain a playoff team into the future.
Meanwhile, Carmelo Anthony has a whole heap of pressure to deal with. Losing a playoff series in Denver was still bringing playoff basketball to Denver. Losing a playoff series or, heaven help him, failing to make the playoffs in the top-heavy East will bring down a firestorm of media madness on Melo’s head. He has never really dominated in the playoffs, and the Knicks are kidding themselves if they think this somewhat lopsided trade makes them an overnight contender.
So here’s hoping that Carmelo knows what he’s getting himself into.
Here’s to the memories, to a few unfortunate regrets, and to the still-bright future of the Denver Nuggets.
(And here’s to the Knicks buying out Billups’ contract, to his hopefully forgiving our rat-fink front office, and to Chauncey retiring as a Denver Nugget.)
Happy trails Melo, enjoy the bright lights.
