Carmelo Anthony: The Irrational Criticism Needs To End

It’s time to stop reaching for reasons to criticize Carmelo Anthony. The NBA community has come to the New York Knicks star’s defense.

No NBA player faces more irrational criticism than New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony. Despite his actions as a social activist, Olympic hero, and franchise-altering star, he can’t walk an inch without facing condemnation.

Anthony’s peers, as well as New York media members, have publicly come to his defense.

Anthony has been criticized for acceptable reasons, but this past week, all rationality was lost. There was an overreaction to his pride in winning Olympic gold medals and a senseless criticism of his signature celebration.

For those unfamiliar, Anthony stated that he could retire a happy man with three gold medals, but still has the goal of winning an NBA championship. Per Marc Stein of ESPN:

"“I can look back on it when my career is over — if I don’t have an NBA championship ring — and say I had a great career.”“Of course, because we play in the NBA that’s always the goal: to win an NBA championship,” Anthony said. “But every year [there’s] a new champion, so you have an opportunity to compete for a championship every year. This is every four years.”"

ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith proceeded to go on a tirade that many have deemed over the top.

Anthony nearly lost his cool in response to Smith’s vicious rant, but close friend and fellow future Hall of Famer LeBron James talked him out of it.

Thankfully, Smith apologized for not talking to Anthony directly before going on the air.

Unfortunately, another critic of Anthony’s wasn’t quite as kind.

Anthony’s signature response to a made 3-point field goal is to put three fingers up against the side of his head. It’s accepted as a harmless celebration by most, but clearly not all.

Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders pointed out the insulting article that covered his, “Boneheaded 3-point gesture.”

Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal did the same.

Former Knick Wilson Chandler was furious, as well.

He continued:

It’s hard to disagree.

It’s not that Anthony’s celebration is beyond reproach. It’s that he’s one of the most socially conscious and active athletes in the world and the notion that a celebration could discredit that is, quite frankly, blasphemous.

It’s that, with every passing day, the world seems to find a new reason to criticize the Knicks’ franchise player—whether fair or foul.

Anthony left a good basketball situation with the Denver Nuggets and passed up an immediate opportunity to win the Chicago Bulls. He had a good head coach in Mike Woodson who, at the very least, was creating a winning culture.

If that’s something you want to criticize him for, then by all means, have at it.

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To hang onto every word and gesture, however, is hot take media that has no place in the world of informative journalism.