Short of LeBron James, perhaps no superstar comes under as much scrutiny as Carmelo Anthony. One could argue that Anthony, by virtue of playing in New York, brings it on himself, but the point still stands. Specifically, Melo seems to come under fire most often for his supposedly questionable loyalty.
Even though he re-signed with the Knicks in 2014 with better options on the table, Melo still for some reason isn’t seen as wholly loyal to the franchise, and he can’t understand why, as Ian Begley of ESPN reports.
But Anthony more recently has said that it’d be foolish to question his loyalty to the Knicks and the city.
“I know the reason why I stuck it out, and people that really understand know why I’m sticking it out,” he told reporters in Chicago on Wednesday. “If people want to, I think it’s odd to question loyalty at this point in time, especially when you show — and I’ve showed time and time again my loyalty to not just the organization, but to New York and vice versa. So at this point I just go out there and play basketball. I try not to worry about it.”
Perhaps something is getting lost in translation, here. This season, Melo has been more vocal with his criticisms of the franchise, at one point even wondering if his loyalty has come back to bite him in the rear. He’s made it known that the team needs to add an impact player this offseason, even though the market won’t be flush with them (Kevin Durant notwithstanding).
But being critical isn’t the same thing as being disloyal. In fact, being blindly loyal to the Knicks, and ignoring their missteps or mistakes would be more troubling. Looking at the team with a critical eye allows Melo to see what can improve and how they can become the best possible version of themselves. Now let’s see if the Knicks actually get there.
(Via ESPN)