Carmelo Anthony Reaffirms Commitment To New York City In Hall Of Fame Speech: "Once A Knick, Always A Knick"

In his 19-year NBA career, Carmelo Anthony played for a total of six teams. This past weekend, he gave due recognition to the second ball club that he ever played for in the league.

During his Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame induction speech, Anthony dropped a special mention to the New York Knicks, a team that he spent six years with. In his speech, the 10-time NBA All-Star expressed his gratitude to the team and its fanbase.

"To the Knicks organization, thank you for believing in me, for trusting me to represent the city that never sleeps, that never folds, that never stops," Anthony said.

After spending the first eight years of his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets, Anthony was dealt to the New York Knicks in a three-team deal that also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves. Though the 6-foot-7 scoring machine had earned two All-Star nods as a member of the Nuggets, all his subsequent All-Star selections would come during his stint in the Big Apple.

"I may have played around the league, but my soul will always echo 33rd and 7th," Anthony declared in his speech. He then drew massive applause from fans in the crowd when he said, "Once a Knick, always a Knick."

As the crown jewel of the Knickerbockers squad, Anthony averaged 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. His individual production, however, could not quite translate into team success as the Knicks never made it past the second round of the playoffs during his time in New York.

Nevertheless, his prolific offense in a Knicks jersey allowed him to climb the ranks of the NBA's all-time scoring leaders. By the time that Anthony played his final game in 2022, he had amassed 28,289 career points, which is good for 10th on the all-time list.

Of course, Anthony's roots in the New York began even before he set foot in the NBA. As a highly touted freshman in 2003, Anthony helped Syracuse win the NCAA championship, bagging the title of Final Four Most Outstanding Player in the process.

In a full circle moment, Anthony's son Kiyan announced last year that he would be committing to Syracuse. Kiyan's decision to join the Big Orange is the latest step in keeping the Anthony legacy alive and well in New York.