When an OG should be quiet...
Melo you should have known that your words would be hurtful...to RJ and the fans like me who love you both.
I love RJ Barrett. I also love Carmelo Anthony. But my biggest love of all has always been my New York Knicks, and that will never change.
For the past 12 days, I’ve been in a state. I wanted to discuss and lament with my Knicks family on Twitter, but then I saw such awful things being said about a young man who had made being a Knick his life.
RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are two players many Knicks fans have come to love, and not only for what they gave on the court. But hey, it’s business, and now they play for the Toronto Raptors. After seeing them with their new team, I can say that I’m genuinely happy for them.
But the reactions from those of you on social media, dragging this young man! Then the sports media, and now Melo…
Suppose he looked up to you…
As an older, retired player looking forward to your son’s career, how could you not think of his feelings? Your fans’ feelings. How could you after all you’d been through? Being blackballed and not knowing why…how could you not have any empathy for him?
Did you forget how it felt when things were being said about you?
No team wanted you, Melo, and you were never the same. Phil Jackson’s words, Chauncey Billup’s words, and your career was never the same. But at least you could say you were nearing the end of your career anyway…right?
Why do you think RJ Barrett is “bland?”
Is Barrett bland because he hasn’t gotten into trouble? Is he bland because he doesn’t shy away from his or his team’s problems and is always ready to face the music and the media? RJ Barrett never ducked anything or anyone. If he had a bad game, he owned up to it, and if his teammates had a bad game, he always said, “We’re trying to get better every day.” And they did.
When RJ Barrett first got to the Knicks, their coach was David Fizdale. He played RJ for 40 minutes a game. No development, just running up and down the court. The Knicks had a 17-65 record. Fizdale gone. Mike Miller, Jeff Hornacek, and finally, Tom Thibodeau.
Before he was 21, he had stats that only players like Kobe, LeBron, KD, Luka, and yourself had…over 2,000 points, over 500 rebounds, and more than 300 assists. What’s bland about that? And he’s continued to get better and grow despite his coaches.
They don’t think he’s bland in Toronto!
RJ helped the FIBA Canadian team win a bronze medal this summer, and now Canada is going to the Olympics for the first time in over 25 years.
My love for you, Melo, and my New York Knicks have not changed. And they never will…
But now I’ve decided to change things up a bit. Miss Tee is on basketball. I’m writing all things basketball…NBA, WNBA, NCAA, NCAAW…I’m talking players. Young, old, retired, needs to retire… These are players I love, like, and don’t particularly care for. This is going to be so exciting, and I’m looking forward to broadening my horizons.
Happy New Year, everybody!