Chris Paul has a message for Carmelo Anthony’s haters
By Cody Rivera
Chris Paul is ready to defend his new teammate, Carmelo Anthony, from any unfair criticism.
Carmelo Anthony has taken plenty of heat over the course of his 15-year NBA career. People have loved to jump at any opportunity to criticize his attitude and/or his work ethic, the way he acts as a teammate and a leader, and his alleged lack of a true desire to be competitive and win championships.
NBA enthusiasts have questioned exactly why the Houston Rockets would want to bring him into the fold, given how his one season in Oklahoma City last year didn’t really pan out the way Thunder fans would’ve liked.
Despite whatever reservations some people may have about the former third overall draft pick, Anthony is still one the best NBA players of the 21st century. His new teammate in Houston, Chris Paul, is tired of people not treating him with the respect that he deserves.
“Obviously I’m a little biased because that’s one of my closest friends,” Paul said during an interview on ESPN’s The Jump. “But, you know, the disrespect that comes at him at times is unbelievable, you know what I mean. So for us, having one of the best players to ever play the game on our team, that’s a no-brainer.
“I think that’s up for all of us, you know, some of the smartest guys to ever play the game, to figure out how to make it work.”
Anthony came into the league in 2003, selected by the Denver Nuggets two picks behind LeBron James, who went No. 1 overall. Paul was drafted fourth overall in 2005 by the New Orleans Hornets (now the Pelicans). Both guys have moved around the league a bit before winding up together in Houston, with Paul also playing for the Los Angeles Clippers and Anthony previously playing for the New York Knicks as well as the Thunder.
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Though both guys are seasoned NBA vets, one thing they have in common is that they both have yet to play on a championship team. With Paul’s Rockets coming just one win short of reaching the NBA Finals last year, they would certainly like to change that in 2019.