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From his days as a rookies with the Denver Nuggets, to becoming a featured act in New York, to his preeminence in international competition, the reputation of Carmelo Anthony's basketball has changed over the course of his 19 years in the NBA.
As Anthony begins to carve out a role with the Los Angeles Lakers, some things have not changed.
"He's been a pain in the ass for every one of those teams," said San Antonio Spurs coach Popovich, who has tailored defensive schemes to try to stop him.
Anthony has been branding himself as a certified bucket getter throughout his career.
"A threat," is how James described him. He is a marksman. Guys that don't need a lot of airspace to get it off because of his quicktrigger are what we call it in our league.
In his first 14 seasons with the Nuggets and Knicks, Anthony averaged over 20 points per game, winning the scoring title in 2012 with 28.7 points per game for New York.
He has scored 50 points four times.
Anthony said he was still doing it. I'm excited about that. I'm in Year 19 and I'm doing what I can. The game is still very much alive and well. Being passionate about coming to work every day and getting better.
Anthony's role on the Knicks and Nuggets teams has changed in recent times, as he refined his game to fit the rosters he found himself on as a complement.
He got from a supernova with the Nuggets to a high-level role player in L.A.
The Olympic Melo.
The all-time leading scorer and rebounder in the history of the U.S. men's basketball national team is Carmelo Anthony.
Anthony is the most decorated Olympian in U.S. men's basketball history with three gold medals and one bronze.
He was the second-leading scorer in the 2012 London Games, averaging 16.3 points on 54.5% shooting from the field and 50% from 3 off the bench. During the United States' gold medal run, Anthony played just 17.9% of the game as a reserve, while KD played 26.1 minutes a game.
Anthony averaged more points than James and Kobe Bryant did.
He scored 37 points in just 14 minutes and 29 seconds against Nigeria, which is the most points scored in international hoops history. Team USA won the game by 83 points.
Jim Boeheim, Anthony's college coach at Syracuse and an assistant on Team USA, said that once he started coming off the bench, it was seamless. He made about a hundred 3s against Nigeria. It was crazy.
Anthony is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder for the U.S. men's basketball national team.
It was obvious to Boeheim that Anthony could fit in with any team he played for, even if it was a different team than the one he played for as a teenager.
When he came off the bench in the Olympics, I told a few people, 'Well, he's come off the bench in the Olympics and played well.' He does what he does. Boeheim said that it's not like he's not going to be able to come off the bench and make shots. That's what surprised me the most about the whole thing.
The Trail blazers are called the Thunder/Rockets.
Anthony played for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Anthony has gone to a few teams in the last half-decade, including a nearly year-long hiatus when he was out of the league.
A trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder just before the start of the season started the period of upheaval.
Billy Donovan was the coach of Anthony in OKC. He was 888-609- 888-609- 888-609- The trade for him happened the day before training camp, so it was really hard for all of us.
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Anthony went from being the Knicks' leader in shots per game to the leader in shots per game for the OKC. He started all 78 games he played in the regular season and all six he played in the first round of the playoffs. He averaged 11.8 points on 21.4% shooting from 3 in the playoffs. After setting the tone for his time in Oklahoma City with a news conference answer during training camp that some around the league viewed as him being unwilling to change, this is what he did.
"Who, me?" When a reporter suggested that Anthony could come off the bench, he quipped, "I'm not going to come off the bench." I don't know where that started. They said I had to come off the bench.
Anthony's reputation took a hit, according to Donovan.
"All this stuff about starting, coming off the bench, I've always found him to be a really, really good team guy," he said. The locker room was really good. Guys enjoy being around him. I think he's a genuine guy. He tried to do everything we asked of him.
The experiment in OKC lasted one season. Anthony formed a new big three in Houston with James Harden and Chris Paul after he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks.
Anthony was told to go home after just 10 games, two of which he appeared as a bench player for the first time in his NBA career. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls, but didn't play a game.
The Portland Trail blazers signed Anthony with their stars, guards Damian Lillard andCJ McCollum, endorsing the move, after they lost their first game of the season.
Boeheim said it was close to almost nobody taking a chance. If Portland hadn't done that, I don't think he plays. Everybody has a different opinion of him.
In his first season with the Portland Trail blazers, Anthony started 58 games and proved he could perform in the clutch, hitting key late-game jumpers in the playoffs.
Boeheim said that he was great. He would go eight minutes without taking a shot and you might not get a shot on that team. He would make two. They would go to him down the stretch and he would make a 3 at the end of the game to win the game. It was crazy.
In 66 of 69 games, Anthony came off the bench. Even though Portland lost to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, Anthony was better as a reserve than he was as a starter, as he averaged 12.3 points in 23.9 minutes while shooting 37.8% from 3.
The Lakers have a player named Melo.
Gary A. Vasquez is a sports writer for USA TODAY.
Anthony has been a bright spot for the Lakers this season.
He's shooting a career-best 46.1% from 3 through his first 18 games, and all but three of them came off the bench. The L.A. crowd has fallen in love with Anthony, and he has shot 53.2% from 3 in his home games.
"He knows who he is as a player and he finds places to be where he can be helpful, and this is a great example of that," said Popovich of Anthony's success in L.A. He's done it again. He takes care of himself. He is a pro. Every team is better because of him. I'm happy for him.
Anthony is getting asked to fill the wings and get open more and more as the game goes on. Heading into Monday's game, he has made 47 catch-and-shoot 3s this season, the most in the league, edging Milwaukee's Grayson Allen (46).
James said that he was in a great rhythm. He's taking his shots and knocking them down.
Anthony has enjoyed his time with the Lakers, even though he didn't sign with the team.
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"As far as what I can do on the court, I don't think that's going to change," Anthony said. I don't need a lot. I pick my spots, I get to open spots, and I shoot when my teammates look for me. I'm able to see the game differently because I'm not the every possession guy coming down the court.
Anthony has been key to the Lakers' success and has already been dubbed the Sixth Man of the Year. L.A. is 7-2 this season when Anthony scores 15 points or more, and he is a huge difference-maker for the offense. The Lakers average 108.6 points per 100 possessions with Anthony on the court and 98.0 points per 100 possessions without him. James has the largest differential in offensive rating on the team.
Boeheim doesn't think that he would say that he's looking at it as a role player. He's going to put points up there when he goes in. You average 14-15 a game in the allotted time. That's pretty good play. When you go in, you have to think, 'I'm a star.' There's reason for him to believe in himself. He's doing well. He's proven.
He's the ninth all-time scorer in the NBA. That's pretty good.
