Carmelo Anthony has been selected as a first-ballot Hall of Fame entry for 2025. The former New York Knicks superstar has been out of the NBA since leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022.
Anthony spent six and a half seasons with New York between 2011 and 2017. He gave his prime years to the Knicks and was an All-Star for every season he suited up in the Orange and Blue.
Recently, Anthony’s former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Damian Lillard declared that adding Anthony to the Hall of Fame was a ‘no-brainer.’
“Yeah, he’s Melo, so I mean it’s an easy call,” Lillard told Landon Buford of 48 Minutes. “There’s no debating Hall of Famer. I don’t see why it would be any other way.”
Lillard played a key role in bringing Anthony back to the NBA after he struggled to find a team following his stint with the Houston Rockets in 2018. Anthony spent two years in Portland before moving to Los Angeles for the final season of his career.
Nevertheless, Anthony is best remembered for his time with the Knicks and his formative years with the Denver Nuggets. During his time with New York, Anthony suited up for 412 regular-season games, averaging 24.6 points, 7 rebounds and 3.2 assists. He shot 44.1% from the field and 36.5% from deep.
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson Set For Return
While Anthony is focused on his Hall of Fame enshrinment, his former team is chasing championship glory. The Knicks chances of success received a significant boost on Saturday, April 5, as Chris Haynes reported Jalen Brunson would be back in the team’s rotation for their April 6 game against the Phoenix Suns.
“New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson (ankle) will make his return Sunday at home against the Phoenix Suns after missing the last 15 games, league sources tell me,” Haynes posted on X.
Brunson has missed 15 straight games for the Knicks. He suffered an ankle sprain during the team’s March 6 loss to the Lakers. Brunson is arguably the best scorer the Knicks have had since Anthony left the franchise back in 2017.
Brunson Should be Close to 100%
According to a March 24 report from SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks took a cautious approach to Brunson’s return.
“Right now, he’s doing shooting, working on the bike and working in the pool. And, Thibodeau noted that Brunson’s conditioning is very good despite that injury. So, it seems like he’s continuing to make steady progress back to the floor. One thing I do know is that the Knicks aren’t going to rush him back. Everybody involved wants Brunson at 100% health before he comes back to the court…Nobody wants Brunson at 90 or 95%. They want him all the way back on that ankle. Ideally, you get him several games under his belt before the playoffs start in mid-April.”
Brunson, if truly healthy, could lead the Knicks toward the Eastern Conference. After all, the heavy investment from the front office this summer was always designed to get the Knicks into contention for a championship. Whether Thibodeau’s team makes a push for the NBA Finals this season or next will remain to be seen.
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