Calls Mount Against Carmelo Anthony’s Ex-Coach George Karl Despite Backing Hall of Fame Honor

This weekend marks the pinnacle of Carmelo Anthony’s basketball journey as he takes his place in the Hall of Fame—not once, but twice. He’ll be enshrined individually for a 19-year NBA career that made him one of the game’s most prolific scorers, and again for his role on the Redeem Team that captured Olympic gold in 2008. Yet like any career, Melo’s story carries both triumphs and turmoil. Beyond the unforgettable battles on the hardwood, one of his most enduring conflicts remains his fractured relationship with former head coach George Karl.

From 2005 to 2011, Anthony played for the Nuggets under Karl’s tutelage. But their relationship was always sour. Karl was critical of Anthony’s defense, leadership, and maturity in his memoir, describing Anthony as “addicted to the spotlight” and someone who did not fully commit on defense. Naturally, the two clashed even on social media, and it’s been two decades since this ugly back-and-forth. For the last few months, the 2013 Coach of the Year has changed his stance. Reason? Carmelo Anthony’s HOF induction.

In his recent tweet, he once again waived the flag of truce and celebrated the 10x All-Star for his achievement. “Melo’s Hall of Fame enshrinement is well deserved this weekend. Carmelo Anthony is one of the best scorers in basketball history and should be celebrated. I’m happy for him!” As stated earlier, this is not the only tweet about him hatching the beef, but fans know and aren’t going to forget the years of negative comments.

Previously, Karl tweeted, “It’s darn cool to see Melo enter Springfield as a first ballot Hall of Famer! I like to think I played a part in his Hall of Fame journey, during his best pro years in Denver. It would be fun to reconnect before his enshrinement. But if not, he can roast me at the Podium!” Just last year, he called Melo overrated once again. How quickly the time changes.

Fans remind Coach Karl about his previous stance on Carmelo Anthony

In an episode of the 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast with Kid Mero, the New York Knicks legend recalled that Karl called him “overrated” when he first joined the team as a coach. This continued even last year, when Karl wrote, “And u were overrated and u wish your game was as efficient as Detlef’s”. That’s why one fan is not siding with the 74-year-old. “Shu- up man. You spent years disrespecting Melo“.

These were the sentiments in the majority of the replies, as one netizen asked the 2x CBA coach of the Year to be ready for a roast during the ceremony. “Hope Melo fries your a– up lol“. There are more comments from the past that the Carmelo Anthony fans have a receipt for. Previously, the former Nuggets coach stated, Anthony had a “low demand of himself on defense” and “no commitment to the hard, dirty work of stopping the other guy“. Melo never called himself the best defender, but such jabs from the coach never help in repairing any situation.

A fan sarcastically came to Carmelo’s defence, “Agree! But how was his defense, coach“. Throughout his stint in the Mile High City, Anthony proved why he was the key to the franchise. After the Nuggets won only 17 games the season before he arrived, Carmelo Anthony led them to a 43-win season in his rookie year.

Anthony led the Denver Nuggets to the playoffs in each of his seven full seasons with the franchise, highlighted by a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2009. That run stands as the peak of his Denver tenure—and his clearest shot at an NBA championship.

The 2009 Nuggets, powered by the midseason addition of Chauncey Billups, had the balance, depth, and defensive toughness that Melo’s earlier teams lacked. They pushed the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers harder than any Western Conference opponent that year. In fact, through the first four games, Denver arguably outplayed Los Angeles and was in position to seize a 3–1 series lead.

But the margins slipped. Costly late-game turnovers, missed free throws, and defensive lapses opened the door for Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The series turned, and what could have been a career-defining upset became a 4–2 defeat.

The duel between the stars was electric: Bryant averaged 34 points, orchestrating every critical possession with ruthless efficiency, while Anthony countered with 27.5 per game.

So the fans pin the blame on the coach. “George, if you was a better coach, maybe he would’ve won win in ’09 lmao. We’d never know.” Some fans hope that this bitter rivalry comes to an end, because those years in Denver gave a lot of fans hope.

Since Carmelo Anthony and his coach have had 6 seasons together, they have reached the playoffs every single time.”You guys made me a fan of basketball as a kid. Forever thankful for all you both did for the state of Colorado, Coach.” Probably, after the speech, where Melo will say his piece, we might finally see an end to this.