New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony gestures from the court against the Atlanta Hawks. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Carmelo Anthony Statement May Shock Knicks Fans

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 7:00 AM ET

New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony is in the Hall of Fame and immortalized in the history of basketball.

Anthony spent six of his 19 seasons with the Knicks and enjoyed some of the best basketball of his career in the Big Apple. However, Anthony recently appeared on “Ctrl the Narrative," where he mentioned his best season was his last — the 2021-22 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“In all honesty, my best year that I’ve ever had was with the Lakers. When you look at the numbers and the efficiency and field goal percent, we’re in a game of numbers now and analytics, so if you look at analytics, the Lakers’ year was one of my best years out of 19 seasons,”Anthony said h/t Pro Football Network writer Rohit De.

Carmelo Anthony attends the men's basketball bronze medal game between Serbia and Germany Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Considering the fact Anthony was an All-Star in every season with the Knicks and won a scoring title in 2012-13, the news is a bit surprising. However, Anthony is speaking from a numbers standpoint.

Anthony has a lot of love for the Knicks and the city, as referenced in his Hall of Fame induction speech earlier this month.

"To the New York Knicks, to the city of New York, the Mecca of basketball: you gave me more than a jersey. You gave me an identity. From the likes of Madison Square Garden to the heartbeat of every borough, I felt that energy. I carried it. I became it," Anthony said in his speech.

"New York is not for the faint of heart. It's pressure, it's expectation, but it's also pride, power and poetry in motion. You show me what it means to carry a city on your back with grace, with grit and with love to the fans. Your passion never wavered, even when things got tough. Your fire lit up every corner of the garden, every chant, every roar, every boom, every moment, we felt it. I felt it."

"And to the Knicks organization: thank you for believing in me, for trusting me to represent the city that never sleeps, that never falls, that never stops. I may have played around the league, but my soul will always echo on 33rd and Seventh. Once a Knick always a Knick."

While Anthony's best basketball from an analytical standpoint may have come with the Lakers, he will always be known as a Knick.

The legendary years he put in with the Knicks will be what he is most known for and the city of New York and the fanbase will always have that.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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