Retired New York Knicks great Carmelo Anthony recently received major backing for his entry into the Hall of Fame this year.
Knicks: Carmelo Anthony is officially on HOF ballot
Anthony headlines the pack of candidates on this year’s ballot for enshrinement into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The Syracuse product’s career resume speaks volumes. But what he put forth on the court beyond the numbers is what has a legendary head coach and front office executive championing his cause.
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post published these quotes from Miami Heat president Pat Riley, who said this about Anthony (h/t New York Knicks on SI’s Jeremy Brener):
“He’s one of the great players, ever. Really,” Riley said. “A tough guard. Can shoot. Good size. Athletic. And carried a franchise in Denver for a long time, went to New York. Always a tough cover, so you had to game-plan for him every night. And had a great career.
“I think from the standpoint of what they call small forwards, he wasn’t just that. He can play small forward, sure. He can play power forward. Back then, we were more positional. He could play the 2-guard. Today, he’d be playing 5. That’s just the way the game has grown. But he deserves it. I hope he makes it.”
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Anthony’s accolades make him a HOF shoo-in
Anthony’s physical traits and versatility allowed him to dominate as a scorer. The 10-time All-Star won the 2013 NBA scoring title. He finished with a career average of 22.5 points per game and was a sure bet to put up 25 PPG for most seasons of his prime.
The New York native earned six All-NBA nods, two of which were Second Team honors and four of which were Third Team selections. Anthony was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary team, a prestigious honor.
Anthony’s Knicks gave Riley’s Heat tough battles in the playoffs and the same can be said for the former’s Denver Nuggets against the latter’s Heat in the regular season earlier in their careers. Thus, the respect from Riley to Anthony is merited and could be influential for his entry once inductees are announced.