Speaker 1: Yesterday, D Nate Smith Basketball Hall of Fame released its
Speaker 1: list of first time nominees for the class of twenty
Speaker 1: twenty five. On the woman's side, the list include Sue Byrd,
Speaker 1: Maya Moore, Sylvia Fouls Shamiqua Holds Claw. As for the men,
Speaker 1: the first time nominees are Dwight Howard, marcasol Amari Stottamaya,
Speaker 1: and Carmelo Anthony. Next year's class also has a repeat
Speaker 1: nominee in the two thousand and eight redeem team that
Speaker 1: also included Carmelo, meaning he could go in twice next year.
Speaker 1: Dwight Howard belongs in the Hall of Fame. He's a
Speaker 1: multiple time Defensive Player of the Year, went to the
Speaker 1: NBA Finals, won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers,
Speaker 1: lost the championship to the finals to the Lakers when
Speaker 1: Orlando Kobe obviously his first championship without Shaquille O'Neal. So
Speaker 1: we can't forget that Dwhite Howard belongs in it. Amari
Speaker 1: Stottamaya was a stud. You gotta look at his injury history, longevity,
Speaker 1: but his game certainly Hall of Fame caliber. Gotta look
Speaker 1: at it from that standpoint. Marcosol international player got to
Speaker 1: give him love. Can't dismiss that. So I get all
Speaker 1: of these things, but I want to focus on Carmelo
Speaker 1: Anthony and I want to tell y'all something weether Carmelo
Speaker 1: Anthony is willing to admit it this or not, the
Speaker 1: greatest mistake he ever made was signing that five year
Speaker 1: contract with the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 2: You see, when he was.
Speaker 1: With the Denver Nuggets, Lebron, James, d Wade and those
Speaker 1: brothers signed a contract in two thousand and seven that
Speaker 1: gave them an opt out in two thousand and ten.
Speaker 1: Carmelo Anthony wanted the five years guaranteed because, as he
Speaker 1: explained to the time, I'm from Baltimore. Shoot, I ain't
Speaker 1: passing up that kind of guaranteed dollars. Anything could happen.
Speaker 1: I could get injured, et cetera, et cetera.
Speaker 2: And that's what harmed them.
Speaker 1: Understand, ladies and gentlemen, that if Carmelo Anthony had been
Speaker 1: able to opt out of his deal in twenty ten,
Speaker 1: Carmelo Anthony would have joined Lebron, James and d Wade
Speaker 1: in Miami and he would have been a.
Speaker 2: Two time champion. I assure you are that.
Speaker 1: But because he didn't do that, that belonged to Chris Bosh,
Speaker 1: who obviously is in the Hall of Fame, and deservedly.
Speaker 2: So, I might add.
Speaker 1: I'm just bringing up that point to make sure I
Speaker 1: break down to you the significance of Carmelo Anthony. This
Speaker 1: is a man that was a number three overall pick
Speaker 1: in two thousand and three, the same class that Lebron
Speaker 1: James went number one, d Wade went number five, Bosh
Speaker 1: went number four in that draft. And I know people
Speaker 1: look at Carmelo Anthony, He's a ten time All Star.
Speaker 1: You see the resume right there, Final four MVP in
Speaker 1: two thousand and three NCAA champion at Sexcuse, the only
Speaker 1: championship the Iarrage Men and.
Speaker 2: Syracuse have ever achieved.
Speaker 1: A three time Olympic Gold medalist, one time Bronze medalist,
Speaker 1: six time All NBA player, ten time NBA All Star,
Speaker 1: NBA scoring champion, averaging twenty eight points seven the game
Speaker 1: in twenty twelve, twenty thirteen, member of the NBA's seventy
Speaker 1: fifth Anniversary team, tenth on the NBA all time scoring list.
Speaker 1: Let me say this to Kayen his son Kayen Anthony,
Speaker 1: who's going to Syracuse.
Speaker 2: Your father's special. Your father's a Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1: No matter what your father was as a player, he's
Speaker 1: an even better person. He's a Hall of Fame man.
Speaker 1: That's how much love I have for Carmelo Anthony. But
Speaker 1: I'm gonna say this as well, there is no debating
Speaker 1: that Carmelo Anthony is a.
Speaker 2: Basketball Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1: If it were just the NBA, it would be a
Speaker 1: challenge because he's never played in an NBA finals, never
Speaker 1: went to an NBA finals.
Speaker 2: When he was in.
Speaker 1: Denver, it was Shaq and Kobe or Tim Duncan and
Speaker 1: Mona Genobili and Tony Park and those boys standing in
Speaker 1: his way. When he went to New York, it was
Speaker 1: Lebron and the Miami Heat standing in their way, even
Speaker 1: though they lost to the Indiana Paces. I get all
Speaker 1: of that, But Carmelo Anthony was a hell of five player,
Speaker 1: a hell offider, offensive juggernaut, no doubt about it, unstoppable, unstoppable.
Speaker 1: But he didn't go to the finals. And I understand
Speaker 1: that argument that could be made against him.
Speaker 2: Here's where it gets tricky.
Speaker 1: Chris Web didn't win a championship Dominique Wilkes didn't win
Speaker 1: a championship. Chris Mullin didn't win a championship. John Stockton
Speaker 1: didn't win a championship, even though he was in a
Speaker 1: couple of NBA finals.
Speaker 2: Him and Carl Malone different level.
Speaker 1: I get that Patrick Ewing didn't win a championship, Charles
Speaker 1: Barkley didn't win a championship.
Speaker 2: I'm just saying there's plenty.
Speaker 1: Of players throughout NBA history that ever won a championship.
Speaker 2: Now, all of those players I mentioned got to an
Speaker 2: NBA finals.
Speaker 1: Okay, I think with the exception of Chris Webber if
Speaker 1: I remember correctly. But all I'm trying to say to
Speaker 1: you is that ain't the criteria.
Speaker 2: For being a Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1: It was your game, your numbers, your significant it's your cashet,
Speaker 1: what you are when you were on the basketball court.
Speaker 1: And again that's just the NBA. There is no debate
Speaker 1: in Carmelo Anthony is a college basketball player.
Speaker 2: The only man in the history of Jim Beaheim.
Speaker 1: Era in Syracuse to deliver a national championship. They had
Speaker 1: the WAVEE Pearl Washington, the greatest show in the history
Speaker 1: of college basketball, The Pearl Go look it up. They
Speaker 1: had Sherman Douglas later on, they had Derek Coleman later on,
Speaker 1: they have Billy Owens later on. And Carmelo Anthony is
Speaker 1: the one that brought a national championship to that program.
Speaker 1: He's a three time Olympic gold medalist. We all know
Speaker 1: what he brings to the table in that regard. And
Speaker 1: he's a prolific scorer, and he was box office. And
Speaker 1: here's another thing. If we're gonna talk about Carmelo Anthony and.
Speaker 2: Give the full picture, let's say this.
Speaker 1: You're listening to someone and watching someone right now who
Speaker 1: loves and reveres the great Joe Dumars, the two time
Speaker 1: champion in the back cord with Isaiah Thomas, with the
Speaker 1: bad boy Detroit Pistons, the guy that ultimately was president
Speaker 1: of the basketball operation that went to like six straight
Speaker 1: conference finals, back to back NBA Championship appearances, won a championship,
Speaker 1: and one on one another if somebody had remembered to
Speaker 1: pick up Robert Lori in a left corner when they
Speaker 1: went up against San Antonio the second go round. So
Speaker 1: let's understand that I bring hip to Detroit Pistons for
Speaker 1: this reason. I know they had Tayshawn Prince with Rip Hamplton,
Speaker 1: with Chawncey Billups with Ben.
Speaker 2: Wallace and Rashid Wallace.
Speaker 1: Had you drafted Carmelo Anthony, if Carmelo Anthony was on
Speaker 1: the Detroit Pistons, Ladies, gentlemen, he has at least one
Speaker 1: title lift not too so we gotta look at it
Speaker 1: from that standpoint as well.
Speaker 2: Is he Lebron James. No, but Carmelo Anthony was.
Speaker 1: A caliber in terms of an offensive talent, the likes
Speaker 1: of d Wade to Chris Bosh. I'm just saying, y'all,
Speaker 1: it's Carmelo Anthony, and I'm telling you he's a Hall
Speaker 1: of Famer. I just wish that he had gone to Miami.
Speaker 1: I still cry about that. If that brother could have
Speaker 1: opt out of his contract and joined d Wade and
Speaker 1: Lebron in Miami instead of Bosh, they would have went
Speaker 1: to for NBA Finals just like they did. But I
Speaker 1: think they would have won three titles, not too. They
Speaker 1: wouldn't have lost to Dallas. I could promise you that
Speaker 1: now with Melo on that damn court, they hadn't lost
Speaker 1: to Dallas.
Speaker 2: Lebron. You you hesitant to shoot? Give me the.
Speaker 1: Rock that's what look, that's what Melo would give me
Speaker 1: the dear. You're a little nervous right now, getting getting
Speaker 1: guarded in the post by j. J.
Speaker 2: Barrego and and and Jason. Oh hell no, give me
Speaker 2: the rock. They didn't want the title. They didn't want
Speaker 2: a title.