Link Anthony apologizes to Nuggets Refusal to return vs. Pistons at issue By Marc J. Spears Denver Post Sports Writer MINNEAPOLIS - The day after refusing to play in the final stretch of a loss Friday night at Detroit, Nuggets rookie forward Carmelo Anthony apologized to his team. Twice Friday night Anthony felt his teammates challenged his shot selection. After the second challenge Anthony said he would not go back into the game after a timeout with 6:16 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets trailing 83-68. The Pistons went on to win 94-75. The Nuggets' leading scorer apologized Saturday during a film session at the team hotel, met privately with some teammates and then answered questions about the incident with The Denver Post. "I apologized for quitting," said Anthony after Saturday's 45-minute practice at the Target Center, where the Nuggets play Minnesota today. "That's not me. That's not me. ... I never did that a day in my life." General manager Kiki Vandeweghe said Saturday he had not talked to Anthony but did not plan to fine him. Vandeweghe was sympathetic to Anthony. "Just about every great player gets frustrated at different times," Vandeweghe said. "It's a learning experience. People have got to realize he's a 19-year-old playing at the highest level. He's going to be frustrated. "That's not something disruptive. It's part of the growing process. Just about every great player goes through it every once in a while." Coach Jeff Bzdelik said he considered the issue closed after Anthony apologized. The Nuggets are trying to hold on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. "He is a terrific young man who has shouldered a lot of responsibility," Bzdelik said. "He was man enough to acknowledge to his teammates that he made a mistake. Now we move on. What is important is what lies ahead. "To be honest with you, we wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for this young man." The first shot-selection challenge came during a first-quarter timeout when Anthony and center Marcus Camby exchanged words after Anthony missed two 18-foot jump shots. The second challenge came during the fourth-quarter timeout when guard Andre Miller voiced concern about the Nuggets taking bad shots. Anthony's misses on a 17-foot jumper and a 3-pointer before the timeout led to Detroit baskets. Anthony finished with 20 points on 9-of-20 shooting and missed his three 3-point attempts. He is averaging a team-best 20.6 points on 42.8 percent shooting. "I was just thinking, 'Why now? Why now?"' Anthony said about being second-guessed. "I think sometimes everybody gets caught up in the moment. Marcus doesn't ever complain about nothing. He said what he had to say, I took it in and I kept on playing. But once you've got everybody questioning your shot selection ... "Everybody was just coming down on me. That's all I heard. When I came to the huddle I could hear everyone saying, 'We're shooting ourselves in the foot.' It was just building up." After Anthony said he would not play, a shocked Bzdelik twice tried to change his mind before replacing Anthony with forward Rodney White. Assistant John MacLeod and Miller also spoke to Anthony during the timeout. "He's young. You've just got to play through it," Miller said. "We've got to win some games. It's a team game and we got to stick together. That's what I told him. "Nobody's upset with how he is playing. In order for us to be successful, we need for him to be aggressive." The third pick in the 2003 draft remained on the bench for the rest of the game with a towel draped over his head. Anthony said if he had gone back in, he "probably wouldn't have been the same because I was so rattled at the time." He added that he would not point fingers at someone "when things get thick" and he was not a selfish ballplayer. "Frustration just took over," he said. "It totally took over me (Friday). I thought I was playing good. I was out there trying to do anything. And for someone to reward me with I'm shooting too much? It just gets frustrating." Said Camby: "He'll be OK (today). He got 20 (shots). We're going to him. With that comes responsibility." First crying about AK making the AS team, now this. Say hello to the TMac of the west.
He can apologize all he wants but as a teammate I wouldn't trust him as my leader. He starts crying after teammates challenge his shot selection twice? He needs to grow up and take some responsibility. That's the problem with Melo - if his shot isn't falling he can't do anything else to help the time because he can't play any D or pass.
Back to the crib with ya! I seriously doubt they are going to make it to the playoffs. I forsee Utah passing them and remaining as the 8th and final spot.
Speaking of Rookies......Lebron's Cavs have only 35pts and there is less than 8min left in the 3rd quarter!
Yup, last I checked, Melo was 2-15 at the half and 6-21 total. His teammates are freakin morons for questioning his shot selection.
Anthony's teammates were confused when the 6-foot-8 forward sat down with 6:16 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Nuggets trailing 83-68, refusing to re-enter the game. Anthony dribbled the ball seemingly in slow-motion and muttered to himself. "Only greatness equals greatness. Only greatness equals greatness," said Anthony, adding, "Only greatness equals greatness." "I mean, what the **** does that mean?" said Camby.
I have been saying for the past 11 months that Carmelo is the most overhyped and overated player to come out in a long time.
Just because he refuses to play the game does not make him overrated or overhyped. He is still a very good player, and still a legit ROY candidate. IMO he should still win over Lebron.
There is no denying his individual talent and skill, I hope we don't have another me-first team-second McGrady on our hands. Given the leadership he showed last year I think he still deserves the benefit of the doubt--but those are troubling comments. I wonder what Warrick and McNamara think of him. Considering this 19 year old would be ROY about 80% of any given year I'd say your statement leads one to conclude you both are a poor judge of talent and not one to admit it when you are wrong.
Ya know, that McGrady statement seems pretty accurate. However, he still has plenty of time to turn his attitude around. Given his talents and abilities, I would hate for Carmelo to have that me-first attitude. Those kind of players are hated everywhere.
I think you're unduly harsh on the kid. He's supposed to be the savior of this franchise that has sucked many years; they were high in the rankings and have slowly faded while other teams come on; were about to get overtaken by Utah and pushed out of the playoffs altogether; and he's playing hard in this particular game but still getting whipped. He just failed under pressure. This isn't much like the Scottie Pippen situation, for example, where he was a veteran leader on an excelling team within reach of a win. Anthony will put this behind him.
It was a dumb mistake, which should be forgiven... We all make dumb decisions and it should be put in the past...Should he have taken a different approach, sure, but he is the future and only a youngster...
Ha ha ha. That was great. That commercial is aburd. Carmelo seems like just another whiny nba star. I thought the kid seemed to have a good head on his shoulders too.