Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups
AP Photo

Chauncey Billups dishes on Carmelo Anthony as a teammate as the former New York Knicks star remains an unsigned free agent.

Carmelo Anthony is still looking for his next opportunity in the NBA. The former New York Knicks star was once a superstar but is now fighting for his basketball life.

Chauncey Billups played with Anthony across three seasons with the Denver Nuggets and the Knicks. He spoke with SiriusXM NBA Radio to talk about Melo as a teammate and his possible future in the league.

 

“I’ll tell you what, it’s so crazy — I feel bad for Melo, and here’s why. Melo was like a good teammate, man,” Billups said. “Melo practiced every day. He didn’t miss any games.

“Now, the only thing I will say — and I’ve even told Melo this — scoring 30 meant too much to Melo. It meant too much because he could have games where he had 20, 22 [points], we win the game, and he’s mad.

“He might have 36, and he’s in there, you know — we lose the game, and he’s in there picking everybody up.”

This seems to perfectly sum up what so many people have thought about Melo. He’s out there with the goal of scoring a ton of points regardless of what happens with his team.

However, this quote from Billups reads a little differently. Anthony always wanted to win. But he felt that the best way for his team to succeed was for him to put up a ton of points. When his team won, but he didn’t score a lot, he felt like he underperformed.

On the other hand, when he would put up 30-plus in a loss, he knew he did his job and didn’t want his teammates to feel like they let him down.

Folks can interpret this quote from Billups however they please. But you would be hard-pressed to find a former teammate who doesn’t speak highly of Melo. He is revered by his peers. That counts for something.

That being said, Billups believes that Melo needs to take a step back from his superstar mentality and embrace his new reality. There’s no doubt that Melo could be a valuable threat off the bench for a contender. But that can only happen if Anthony buys in.

 
NY/NJ hoops reporter (NBA/NCAA) & sports betting writer for XL Media. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.