Yesterday, D Nate Smith Basketball Hall of Fame released its list of first time nominees for the class of twenty twenty five. On the woman's side, the list include Sue Byrd, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fouls Shamiqua Holds Claw. As for the men, the first time nominees are Dwight Howard, marcasol Amari Stottamaya, and Carmelo Anthony. Next year's class also has a repeat nominee in the two thousand and eight redeem team that also included Carmelo, meaning he could go in twice next year.
Dwight Howard belongs in the Hall of Fame. He's a multiple time Defensive Player of the Year, went to the NBA Finals, won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, lost the championship to the finals to the Lakers when Orlando Kobe obviously his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal. So we can't forget that Dwhite Howard belongs in it. Amari Stottamaya was a stud. You gotta look at his injury history, longevity, but his game certainly Hall of Fame caliber. Gotta look
at it from that standpoint. Marcosol international player got to give him love. Can't dismiss that. So I get all of these things, but I want to focus on Carmelo Anthony and I want to tell y'all something weether Carmelo Anthony is willing to admit it this or not, the greatest mistake he ever made was signing that five year contract with the Denver Nuggets.
You see, when he was.
With the Denver Nuggets, Lebron, James, d Wade and those brothers signed a contract in two thousand and seven that gave them an opt out in two thousand and ten. Carmelo Anthony wanted the five years guaranteed because, as he explained to the time, I'm from Baltimore. Shoot, I ain't passing up that kind of guaranteed dollars. Anything could happen. I could get injured, et cetera, et cetera.
And that's what harmed them.
Understand, ladies and gentlemen, that if Carmelo Anthony had been able to opt out of his deal in twenty ten, Carmelo Anthony would have joined Lebron, James and d Wade in Miami and he would have been a.
Two time champion. I assure you are that.
But because he didn't do that, that belonged to Chris Bosh, who obviously is in the Hall of Fame, and deservedly.
So, I might add.
I'm just bringing up that point to make sure I break down to you the significance of Carmelo Anthony. This is a man that was a number three overall pick in two thousand and three, the same class that Lebron James went number one, d Wade went number five, Bosh went number four in that draft. And I know people look at Carmelo Anthony, He's a ten time All Star.
You see the resume right there, Final four MVP in two thousand and three NCAA champion at Sexcuse, the only championship the Iarrage Men and.
Syracuse have ever achieved.
A three time Olympic Gold medalist, one time Bronze medalist, six time All NBA player, ten time NBA All Star, NBA scoring champion, averaging twenty eight points seven the game in twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, member of the NBA's seventy fifth Anniversary team, tenth on the NBA all time scoring list. Let me say this to Kayen his son Kayen Anthony, who's going to Syracuse.
Your father's special. Your father's a Hall of Famer.
No matter what your father was as a player, he's an even better person. He's a Hall of Fame man. That's how much love I have for Carmelo Anthony. But I'm gonna say this as well, there is no debating that Carmelo Anthony is a.
Basketball Hall of Famer.
If it were just the NBA, it would be a challenge because he's never played in an NBA finals, never went to an NBA finals.
When he was in.
Denver, it was Shaq and Kobe or Tim Duncan and Mona Genobili and Tony Park and those boys standing in his way. When he went to New York, it was Lebron and the Miami Heat standing in their way, even though they lost to the Indiana Paces. I get all of that, But Carmelo Anthony was a hell of five player, a hell offider, offensive juggernaut, no doubt about it, unstoppable, unstoppable. But he didn't go to the finals. And I understand that argument that could be made against him.
Here's where it gets tricky.
Chris Web didn't win a championship Dominique Wilkes didn't win a championship. Chris Mullin didn't win a championship. John Stockton didn't win a championship, even though he was in a couple of NBA finals.
Him and Carl Malone different level.
I get that Patrick Ewing didn't win a championship, Charles Barkley didn't win a championship.
I'm just saying there's plenty.
Of players throughout NBA history that ever won a championship.
Now, all of those players I mentioned got to an NBA finals.
Okay, I think with the exception of Chris Webber if I remember correctly. But all I'm trying to say to you is that ain't the criteria.
For being a Hall of Famer.
It was your game, your numbers, your significant it's your cashet, what you are when you were on the basketball court. And again that's just the NBA. There is no debate in Carmelo Anthony is a college basketball player.
The only man in the history of Jim Beaheim.
Era in Syracuse to deliver a national championship. They had the WAVEE Pearl Washington, the greatest show in the history of college basketball, The Pearl Go look it up. They had Sherman Douglas later on, they had Derek Coleman later on, they have Billy Owens later on. And Carmelo Anthony is the one that brought a national championship to that program. He's a three time Olympic gold medalist. We all know what he brings to the table in that regard. And
he's a prolific scorer, and he was box office. And here's another thing. If we're gonna talk about Carmelo Anthony and.
Give the full picture, let's say this.
You're listening to someone and watching someone right now who loves and reveres the great Joe Dumars, the two time champion in the back cord with Isaiah Thomas, with the bad boy Detroit Pistons, the guy that ultimately was president of the basketball operation that went to like six straight conference finals, back to back NBA Championship appearances, won a championship, and one on one another if somebody had remembered to pick up Robert Lori in a left corner when they
went up against San Antonio the second go round. So let's understand that I bring hip to Detroit Pistons for this reason. I know they had Tayshawn Prince with Rip Hamplton, with Chawncey Billups with Ben.
Wallace and Rashid Wallace.
Had you drafted Carmelo Anthony, if Carmelo Anthony was on the Detroit Pistons, Ladies, gentlemen, he has at least one title lift not too so we gotta look at it from that standpoint as well.
Is he Lebron James. No, but Carmelo Anthony was.
A caliber in terms of an offensive talent, the likes of d Wade to Chris Bosh. I'm just saying, y'all, it's Carmelo Anthony, and I'm telling you he's a Hall of Famer. I just wish that he had gone to Miami. I still cry about that. If that brother could have opt out of his contract and joined d Wade and Lebron in Miami instead of Bosh, they would have went to for NBA Finals just like they did. But I think they would have won three titles, not too. They
wouldn't have lost to Dallas. I could promise you that now with Melo on that damn court, they hadn't lost to Dallas.
Lebron. You you hesitant to shoot? Give me the.
Rock that's what look, that's what Melo would give me the dear. You're a little nervous right now, getting getting guarded in the post by j. J.
Barrego and and and Jason. Oh hell no, give me the rock. They didn't want the title. They didn't want a title.