Carmelo Anthony shared that a young player referring to him as “Unc” made him consider stepping away from basketball. He recalled playing against the Denver Nuggets, his first game back in a while, where Michael Porter Jr. was guarding him.
After making a move to score, Porter exclaimed, “Damn, Unc, I didn’t know you still had that,” which prompted Carmelo to reflect on how he was being perceived due to his age.
“We’re playing Denver,” the veteran said. “This is the first time I played Denver in a long time. Go back. Michael Porter is guarding me. I catch him on, like, the right elbow and just, like, catch it, post, quick jab, go left, and lay it up. He’s like, ‘Damn, Unc, I didn’t know you still had that.’”
Anthony, a 10-time NBA All-Star, was drafted 3rd overall in 2003 and quickly became a scoring sensation. He spent his early career with the Denver Nuggets, consistently averaging over 20 points per game and leading the team to playoff appearances. In 2011, he was traded to the New York Knicks, where he won the 2013 scoring title with a 28.7-point average.
After shorter stints with the Thunder, Rockets, and a revival with the Trail Blazers, Melo capped his career with the Lakers in 2021-2022. He retired among the NBA’s all-time top 10 scorers.
Carmelo says he wanted to leave the game of basketball after a young player called him an ‘Unc’
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 13, 2024
“We’re playing Denver. This is the first time I played Denver in a long time. Go back. Michael Porter is guarding me. I catch him on, like, the right elbow and just, like, catch it,… pic.twitter.com/WIoi4jDphL
