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Knicks: Chauncey Billups Is Proud Of Carmelo Anthony For Activism

By Maxwell Ogden

Feb 10, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Retired professional basketball player Chauncey Billups smiles at Isiah Thomas as he walks onto the court during halftime in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Nuggets win 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 10, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Retired professional basketball player Chauncey Billups smiles at Isiah Thomas as he walks onto the court during halftime in the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Denver Nuggets at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Nuggets win 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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Former New York Knicks point guard Chauncey Billups is proud of the social activist that ex-teammate Carmelo Anthony has become.

From 2008 to 2011, Carmelo Anthony called Chauncey Billups a teammate, mentor, and leader. Both with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks, that duo found a way to elevate the teams they played for.

Thus, it’s hardly surprising that Billups was asked about Anthony’s recent emergence as a social activist.

Billups, an NBA champion with two NBA Finals appearances and seven consecutive trips to the Conference Finals as a starter, is regarded as one of the greatest leaders in NBA history. What Anthony has recently achieved, however, is bigger than basketball.

During his recent appearance on The Vertical Podcast with Woj, Billups expressed how proud he is of Anthony for the leadership role he’s embraced.

"“He has been on the forefront of that and I’m proud of him for that. He’s always been a conscious dude, even at a young age. We talked about what’s going on in the world, what’s going on in the country. He’s always been a very conscious guy. He’s smarter than most people ever even knew. He reads a lot. He’s very in tune to what’s going on and I’m happy that he has the courage to go up there and stand up for what he believes in.Now there’s pressure that comes with that. If you’re going to be an activist, you’ve gotta always be an activist. If you’re going to be calling athletes to go act and be out there and be doing this and that, you’ve gotta make sure you’ll be first in line every time. And he takes a lot of time in that, which I’m proud of. He has the platform to do so, everybody loves ‘Melo.”"

Anthony has readily embraced the pressure of being a leader in this push for social reform.

By speaking out against police brutality, Anthony has risked endorsement deals and jersey sales. Even if he maintains or improves upon those figures, the risk was genuine—and he knew it.

Anthony wrote as much in the Instagram post that set this movement amongst athletes in motion.

In the weeks that have followed, Anthony hasn’t backed down from his statements.

Anthony could’ve implored athletes and celebrities to take action and left it at that. Instead, he’s put his money where his mouth is—both literally and figuratively.

He made a moving speech at the 2016 ESPY Awards, organized a meeting with police officers and citizens in Los Angeles, and donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Challengers Boys & Girls Club.

Whether people love his game, hate it, or feel indifferent, the only rational feeling towards Anthony as a person is respect.

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Anthony has made many proud, including one of the most respected teammates he’s ever played with: Chauncey Billups.

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