Former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl released excerpts from his upcoming book on Thursday which made critical references to former players including current New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.
Karl, the 2013 NBA Coach of the Year, wrote that Carmelo was part of a group of players he called “AAU babies”. Karl also wrote that he felt issues arose between him, Carmelo, and Kenyon Martin because of their different backgrounds; Karl from a suburban, nuclear family while Anthony and Martin had “no father to show them how to act like a man”.
When asked about Karl’s book after the Knicks beat the Magic on Thursday, 106-95, Anthony said he didn’t feel any particular type of way about Karl, and that he wished him well.
From NorthJersey.com:
Nothing disappoints me anymore. I’m past being disappointed. I just hope that he finds happiness in what he’s doing. His book, hopefully will bring him happiness.
It is what it is. It’s tough. If this would have came out years ago, I haven’t been in Denver in six, seven years, I haven’t played under him in six, seven years. When you’re there it’s a different story than what you hear after the fact.
I never knew it was this much. I never knew I was a, what was the word, conundrum? I don’t even know what the hell that means, to be honest with you. I never knew that. That never was brought up, anybody that you ask, assistant coaches, players, front-office people, anybody you ask will sing a different tune when it comes to me, when it comes to our mentality, that team. We came together, we stuck together as a team. At the end of the day we stuck together as team. It took us far. Not far enough to where we was able to win a championship. But we came together as a team because of that.
Martin and former Nuggets J.R. Smith and Reggie Evans responded to Karl’s comments on social media, calling him “a terrible person” and “unhappy with himself”.
Carmelo jokes that he'll address Karl's criticisms when he writes his own book. What will the title be? "Stay Melo," he says. "Not Furious."
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 23, 2016
