“I was just an All-Star in New York the year before” - Carmelo Anthony recalls being told to play off the bench for the first time

Carmelo Anthony is a beloved figure in NBA circles today. However, he earned the ire of many for refusing to accept a reserve role with the Oklahoma City Thunder before the start of the 2017-18 regular season.

The future Hall of Famer received the news of his possible demotion from the starting lineup shortly after the Thunder acquired him from the New York Knicks . He was incredulous initially but eventually was named a starter alongside Russell Westbrook and Paul George. Anthony recently explained why he couldn't accept being put on the bench.

"That was the first time in my career that I've ever heard that I should come off the bench, ever," he said on his podcast . "I was just an All-Star in New York the year before. ... When I heard that, I wasn't trying to be like a jacka**. Come off the bench; where did that come from?"

Falling out with OKC

At that point, the former Denver Nuggets star was still only 33 years old and coming eight straight All-Star appearances. He had also just averaged 22.4 points per game for the Knicks in the 2016-17 campaign. So, ceding his status as a starter was still far from his mind.

Unfortunately for Anthony, OKC didn't seem to think that way. As it turned out, he still started all his 78 contests with the Thunder. However, what happened behind the scenes may have made for must-watch television.

Things didn't go as planned for the squad, as it bowed out of the playoffs despite registering 48 wins and placing fourth in the Western Conference. Even though Melo scored 16.2 points per contest in the regular season, he looked lost in most of their games. The retired professional scorer once rued how the Thunder roster was "thrown together" at the last minute and that the organization didn't have a strategy for him being there.

Farewell to OKC

The 2016-17 campaign seemed like a mixed bag for Anthony. While the basketball part of his Thunder tenure certainly could have been better, he was still fortunately able to establish friendships with Westbrook, George, and likely his other teammates.

Even if Anthony couldn't help Oklahoma City advance further than the first round in the 2017 playoffs, he was probably looking to run it back the following season. Sadly, the organization had other plans, as then-coach Billy Donovan called him in the 2018 offseason to tell him that the Thunder would prioritize the development of the younger Jerami Grant.

Melo said that by then, he was willing to accept a move to the bench and work with the coaching staff. However, Donovan told him such a role wasn't even available for him.

So, Anthony's time in Oklahoma City was up after just one year. He spent a few more seasons in the league, bouncing around three franchises, namely the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers, before retiring in 2023.

Related: Carmelo Anthony urges young players to ask the OGs for advice: "Young cats out there, man, listen. Holler. Don't be afraid to pick up the phone"