The New York Knicks had a chance to start fresh this summer but got stuck with a max contract and Carmelo Anthony, a very good player that will never lead them to a championship and also thinks that he’s actually underrated by what he considers to be so-called basketball experts.

It’s not fair that players are only measured by the number of championships and titles they leave the sport with, but that’s part of the job descriptions (not officially) when you’re an NBA star. Championships are team awards. MVPs are given out to someone playing on a losing team as well. There no ‘I’ in this sport, although Anthony is one of those guys who often plays like there’s no one else around him.

Anthony had an opportunity to take less money and play for a team with a better shot at winning something. He might not have been the number one guy on those teams, and would have made less than the max contract. In the final decision, Anthony decided that trying to win with New York while getting the max pay is the best option for him. No one’s blaming him – it’s hard to turn down that kind of money. But it’s funny hearing Anthony complaining about criticism afterwards.

I think I’m the most underrated superstar that’s out there but that doesn’t matter to me. I know what I’m capable of doing. I know the grind and the hard work I put in to this. I know how consistent I’ve been over my career. To do it day in and day out and night in and night out on a very consistent basis year in year out, I know what I can do and I know the work I’ve put in. So as far as caring about if I’m underrated as a superstar, and getting the respect I deserve, I don’t worry about that. In due time if everything goes well, I will get it.

I know, personally, I’m there. It doesn’t bother me. These analysts are all people that maybe never accomplish anything. That just sit back and write articles all day long about what they see. They’re kind of living through us out there on the basketball court. I don’t worry about me being put up there. I know night in and night out I’m gonna go out there and put my work in regardless of win loss or draw. I’m still going to go out there and be the best player I can be. (Talking to Chris Broussard of ESPN)

Anthony is a superstar, All-Star who’ll end up in the hall of fame. He has been one of the most talented scorers in the NBA over the last 11 seasons, and on some level, the best. But that’s where it ends. He isn’t an exceptional passer or rebounder. He doesn’t defend very well, because most of the time his focus isn’t there. He takes away too much of the salary cap to make it possible and build a championship team around him.

Anthony is a good player, a very good number one option, but not for a championship team. The Knicks, like the Lakers, had a chance of cutting him loose, going on one season of tanking, and then start fresh, with a clean slate, and plenty of cap space. Now, they’re locked in with Anthony for a very long time, and without too much flexibility to make the team good enough to win him that title ring he supposedly wants so much.

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