Carmelo Anthony Dismisses ESPN’s NBA Player Rankings As ‘Nonsense’

Carmelo Anthony believes he deserves better after 14 NBA seasons.

The New York Knicks forward used Twitter on Tuesday to blast ESPN for his position on its annual list of player rankings. ESPN pegged Anthony at No. 64, one spot below Los Angeles Lakers rookie Lonzo Ball.

ESPN ranked Anthony No. 31 prior to last season, but his stock with the Worldwide Leader in Sports plummeted. Here’s why:

“Entering his 15th season, Anthony’s days as a top-50 player might be finished as he comes in 33 spots below last season’s ranking,” ESPN writes. “His drop is tied for the largest by anyone that finished in the top 35 a season ago. The only players in NBA history to average at least 20 points per game in each of their first 15 seasons are Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a club Anthony could join in 2017-18.”

Given Anthony’s reaction to ESPN’s NBA rankings and potential trade to a playoff-caliber team, we should assume his position on the list will spike next season … and the ranking exercise will generate even more attention around this time in 2018.

Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images