Kobe Bryant backed Carmelo Anthony’s wish to leave Denver Nuggets and slammed their “idiot” fans: “It’s about winning” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
In January 2011, Kobe Bryant weighed in on the league’s biggest headline: Carmelo Anthony wanted to leave the Denver Nuggets, and was booed by his own fans during a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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While in town with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bryant didn’t hold back. He backed Anthony’s decision and ripped Nuggets fans, first calling them “stupid ” and then “idiots” for turning on their superstar.
The Melo-Denver departure story
Starting with the 2010-11 season, rumors about Anthony‘s future grew louder.
The superstar forward had steadily denied requesting a trade, but his hesitation to commit to a lucrative extension in Colorado told its own story, which left Nuggets fans frustrated.
That frustration, which reached its peak by early 2011, was understandable.
Drafted third overall in the iconic 2003 class, fresh off an NCAA title run with Syracuse, Anthony faced several off-court scandals early in his NBA career. Still, he had built a strong following in Denver.
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As he emerged as one of the league’s top scorers, Nuggets fans expected their loyalty during his controversial start to be rewarded and their bond to grow stronger in the years to come. But their superstar had other plans — he wanted out, calling it “time for a change.”
This, too, was understandable.
Simply put, the New York native, an All-Star in 2007 and 2008, had outgrown the talent around him. This was an implicit critique of Denver’s front office, which arguably failed to build a roster that allowed Anthony’s scoring to thrive.
It echoed a familiar narrative: when a star player feels unsupported, seeking greener pastures becomes inevitable. The Lakers legend understood this well.
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“It’s about winning. If you want to keep a player here, make the right decisions,” Kobe said before a Lakers-Nuggets matchup, per ESPN. “Build a team around him that can compete, and there won’t be any issues.”
Why Kobe stood by Carmelo
Ultimately, no one should’ve been surprised by Kobe defending Carmelo.
After all, the Black Mamba was ruthless about standards, and those always started with expecting the absolute best from himself, his teammates, coaches and especially the front office.
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The most well-known moment when the 6’6″ swingman felt others weren’t holding up their end came in May 2007, when Bryant — frustrated with the team’s direction — publicly requested a trade from the Purple and Gold.
“In my situation, we weren’t spending the money to get players [to the Lakers],” he recounted. “They had me playing around with Smush Parker. So until they decided that they wanted to make the necessary sacrifice financially and give me a team that was going to be competitive, then I didn’t want to be here. It was as simple as that.
Another reason Kobe backed his 2008 Olympic gold medal teammate was their close bond.
“Melo’s a good friend of mine, and it’s the truth,” the 2008 MVP said after the game. “It’s stupid. You don’t boo him. It’s silly. You boo him the first time, let him know how you feel, and get over it.”
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Still, Bryant’s words may have carried a hint of personal payback.
He’d been booed too loudly at Denver’s arena, especially during the fallout from his 2003 sexual assault case held in Colorado. The charges were eventually dropped, but the hostility lingered for years.
Safe to say, Kobe never cared much for that kind of crowd to begin with — and maybe that made him appreciate the idea of his buddy, a soon-to-be New York Knick, playing in front of a different one.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.