“We ain’t worried about nobody else in the East. We’re worried about Boston, that’s it.” That confident declaration from Carmelo Anthony in August last year said everything about how much faith he has in the New York Knicks’ title run this year. But just as the Knicks were riding high after their playoff opener, a stumble in Game 2 — a 94-100 loss to the Detroit Pistons — shifted the mood in an instant. And as if the scoreline wasn’t enough to rattle fans, imagine seeing Melo, the face of Knicks fandom, warming up to a Pistons star.

Carmelo Anthony opened up about it himself on 7 PM in Brooklyn, and let’s just say he didn’t hold back. If you caught Game 2, you probably remember the moment Cade Cunningham threw down a ferocious dunk during the third quarter. But what made it viral wasn’t just the move — it was who he pointed to right after: Carmelo Anthony, sitting courtside mid-interview. Cunningham didn’t just want to score — he wanted Melo to see it. So what did the Knicks legend think about being called out like that on national TV?

“It’s a respect thing, of course… I wear multiple hats… Literally and figuratively… I wear the hat of like representing New York, the Knicks… I wear the hat of being a player who played for the Knicks. And I also wear the hat of somebody who f—s with this young generation,” Melo explained, clearly not taking offense.

In fact, not only did he respect it, he welcomed it. Melo made it clear that he still appreciates players who know the game and play it the right way. And that’s where things get interesting. “So to that point of Cade is like him acknowledging, yeah, ‘I’m here. Like I’m here and I’m here to come see you too…’ And I always said that I wanted to work with Cade… I would love to work with him,” Anthony shared on 7 PM in Brooklyn.

Well, Cunningham has already elevated his game this season, averaging 25+ points per game through a season for the first time. And his recent 33-point domination, along with 12 rebounds, screamed concern for New York. Amid such circumstances, a former prolific scorer like Melo working with Cunningham would only further the Knicks’ woes. The situation, however, makes you wonder: then why was it that Anthony denied he’d probably never see himself as an NBA coach?

Carmelo Anthony opened up on why he won’t become a successful coach

Seeing NBA stars shift from hardwood glory to clipboard duty isn’t exactly rare. With the years of in-game wisdom they carry, coaching can seem like a logical next chapter. But if you’re expecting to see Carmelo Anthony calling plays from the sidelines, you might want to hold that thought.

On an episode of 7PM in Brooklyn podcast last year, Melo made it crystal clear—coaching just isn’t on his radar. In fact, he shut down the idea without blinking. For a player who’s often been called “hard to coach,” the irony isn’t lost, and it raises a fair question—could that be why he’s steering clear of it? “That is exactly why I can’t be a coach,” Anthony said. “I think I would coach high school. I gotta have my own situation, like a ‘Oak Hill’ type of situation… you know, like a situation where I can control everything.”

And Melo’s not wrong in pointing out that history hasn’t been kind to superstar-turned-coaches. “It ain’t ever work for nobody like myself…” he added. “No big-time player has gotten back on the sideline and was successful as a coach… We operating at a different level.”

At the end of the day, Carmelo Anthony knows himself, and he knows the game. Coaching? That’s just not the role he wants to play. But still, the 10x All-Star, who has been tagged as a better scorer than Michael Jordan by some, giving out pointers to Cade is not something Knicks fans would be crazy about.