Blazers’ Jusuf Nurkic Takes a Sly Dig at LaMelo Ball While Praising Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony is an all-time great in the NBA. Throughout his career, Anthony has been an All-Star multiple times, made several All-NBA teams, and led the league in scoring. However, as he comes to the twilight of his career, he has had to accept a smaller role in the league, coming off the bench for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Carmelo Anthony is coming back into form

Melo’s teammate Jusuf Nurkic understands his value, and Nurkic took to Twitter to praise him. He even called him a future Hall of Fame player. But while doing that, Nurkic also used the tweet to take a shot at LaMelo Ball. Both players go by ‘Melo’ as a nickname, and Nurkic called Anthony the only Melo in the NBA.

Despite the subtle dig at Ball, the respect for Anthony from Nurkic is genuine. Carmelo joined the Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent in 2019. After failed stints at Oklahoma City and Houston, Carmelo lost his clout in the NBA. He signed with the Trail Blazers on a one-year non-guaranteed contract.

After arriving in Portland, Melo accepted a smaller role with the franchise. While he did start all his games, he saw his minutes reduced during the season compared to previous years in the NBA. Anthony still averaged solid numbers through the year and had 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, and an assist per game.

Anthony is accepting his new role in Portland

During the NBA bubble, Anthony showed glimpses of his former self. He was key for the Trail Blazers as they made the push to reach the playoffs. He made the crucial shot against Memphis in the play-in game to secure the Blazers’ eighth seed. In the playoffs, Melo was not able to lead the Trail Blazers over eventual champions Los Angeles Lakers, but he was still impressive.

He re-signed with the Blazers during the off-season. This year, he has accepted a role coming off the bench. Anthony has only started two games this year and has seen a greater reduction in his minutes. However, he still has solid contributions as a role-player, scoring 12.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and an assist per game.

Is Carmelo Anthony a future Hall of Fame member? He is one of the greatest players of his generation. However, he still has one major accolade missing from his resume – an NBA championship. If he can win a ring before the end of his career, it will solidify his status as one of the all-time greats.