This will be the last time I ever post a photo of Carmelo Anthony on this blog. (Probably.)
It’s not for spite, it’s not for a lack of appreciation for what Melo has done for Denver over the past seven years. It’s a new lack of interest.
Unfortunately for Denver, the bevy of pretty-good-but-not-star-quality players coming to the Nuggets in return for Melo will probably keep us in the hunt for a playoff berth. And if we get one, next year will be even worse. While the final culmination of this season’s most ridiculously drawn-out trade story isn’t nearly as heartbreaking for Nuggets fans as ‘The Decision’ was for those in Cleveland, it’s just as telling of the new way. Unless this summer’s collective bargaining agreement can promise players like LeBron and Carmelo won’t have the last word in where they go and for how much, teams like the Cavaliers, the Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves—teams in markets with less than a few million fans—will never compete for titles again. Sure, it can be fun watching slices of the All-Star ballots go up against one another week in and week out throughout the regular season, but what of the smaller cities?
I’m going to miss Melo and I wish him no ill will; I only wish that the whole idea of the game was 30-some teams battling it out, parity ruling the league and the probability of surprises still something we can count on. Instead, we’re looking at a likely six-team league beginning to solidify over the next few years. I’m in Denver and I don’t plan on leaving…which pretty much leaves me screwed.
Now basketball’s just like baseball.
