With his memoir set to be released on Jan. 10, George Karl has once again opened himself up to questions about the relationship he had with Carmelo Anthony. The two were not best friends when they were with the Denver Nuggets, and they’re certainly no closer now.
And Karl is doing nothing to hide that.
In an interview with David Marchese of New York Magazine that was published this week, Karl was asked to elaborate on some of the seemingly ruthless shots he took at Anthony in his book. The former coach said a lot of the criticism stems from how frustrated he was with Carmelo always being overly concerned with his personal brand.
“Melo is a hell of a player, the best offensive player I’ve ever coached. I owe him as much as anyone for my having a great record,” Karl said. “But there’s a new generation of players interested in personal branding and gaining money and power off the court, and that’s all new to me. There were too many times with Melo when what was going on off the court was more important than what was happening on the court. It bothered me then and it bothers me now.”
As Kurt Helin of Pro Basketball Talk put it, Karl’s stance on pro athletes and their personal brands shows he is out of touch. The 65-year-old has an old-school mentality that could be helpful in some situations, but some of the content of his book and his recent remarks indicate the modern sports world is passing him by.
Anthony has never been considered a great defender, but does anyone think his lack of effort on defense has to do with him trying to make money off the court? LeBron James is widely considered the best player on the planet, and his personal brand is incredibly important to him. The same is true for Stephen Curry and even the kings of other sports like Tom Brady.
The bottom line is Karl has an axe to grind with Anthony and many others. His book, “Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs and Poor Shot Selection,” makes that clear. You can read more of what Karl had to say about Anthony and other players here.
