Carmelo Anthony was a legitimate superstar during his New York Knicks days. Even legendary head coach Phil Jackson believed in him enough to compare him to two of the biggest stars in the league’s history.
As an 11-time champion head coach, Phil Jackson is one of the most respected minds in NBA history. He built systems that won him 11 championships with the Chicago Bulls and the Los Angeles Lakers.
After he exited his head coaching role with the Lakers, Jackson went on to be an executive for the New York Knicks in 2014. As the Knicks’ president, Jackson was influential, which led to struggles to reach the Playoffs.
Despite those struggles, he did admit that Carmelo Anthony was his best player. Anthony was the foundation of the Knicks’ system, leading to comparisons to some big names from Jackson’s past.
Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesJackson had immense respect for Anthony’s skill set
During the 2010s, Anthony was already one of the most talented players in the league. His move to the Knicks was massive because it brought a superstar to the Big Apple. The Knicks were suffering for a long time without that cornerstone, and Anthony was every bit of that superstar.
In his stint with the Knicks, Anthony established himself as the team’s biggest star. He was always a fantastic offensive player who had coaches building systems around him. Even Jackson, who came in as an executive, acknowledged Anthony’s skill set.
They might have had some friction at the end of Jackson’s tenure, but Anthony was always a respected figure due to his skills on the court. He was talented enough for Jackson to compare him to his favorite player, Michael Jordan, and his other cornerstone, Kobe Bryant.
“He can play that role that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant played. That’s a perfect spot for him to be in that isolated position on the weak side. Because it’s an overload offense and there’s a weak-side man that always has an advantage if the ball is swung,” Jackson said on CBS Sports’ We Need To Talk in 2016.
“Carmelo, a lot of times, wants to hold the ball longer than, we have a rule, if you hold a pass two seconds, you benefit the defense. So he has a little bit of a tendency to hold the ball for three, four, five seconds, then everybody comes to a stop.
“That is one of the things we work with. But he has adjusted to it, he knows what it can do, and he’s willing to see its success.”
Anthony earned all the praise he received during his career
During his career, Anthony was never the best player in the league. He had to compete with Bryant and LeBron James, but he was always competing with them. Anthony cemented himself as one of the best players in the league with his offensive game.
Anthony was a natural scorer who could take over games. That is why he had well over 28,000 points in his career. Unfortunately, Anthony could not win a championship like the other superstars, but he was still a fantastic player.
First ballot: Carmelo Anthony has been notified that he’s been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025, sources tell ESPN. Anthony made 10 All-Star appearances and six All-NBA teams in 19 seasons to go along with three Olympic gold medals for Team USA. pic.twitter.com/b079xHPqZB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2025
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That is why he was inducted into the 2025 class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The 10-time NBA All-Star was such a good player that when they all played together for Team USA, he was often their best scorer.
On a team that had multiple superstars, Anthony stood out and became synonymous with the national team. Kevin Durant eventually overtook him as the leading scorer for Team USA, but Anthony kept standing out in a team filled with stars. Jackson saw Anthony’s skill set and compared him to all-time greats, praise he rightfully deserved.