There was a huge missed opportunity in 2003 when Michael Jordan decided to retire for the final time in his career following a few disappointing years with the Washington Wizards that didn't bear much in the way of team success. By retiring at the conclusion of the 2002-03 season, Jordan was not able to play against future Hall of Famers such as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade, who entered the league the following campaign.
Nonetheless, Jordan still had the aura that made even players of Anthony's caliber turn their heads whenever he was around. Even if Jordan was no longer at his best during his days with the Wizards, Anthony could still see just how differently Jordan was built compared to his peers, as he was never in a hurry and he was always locked into getting to his comfort spots on the court and doing damage from there.
“I just remember watching him like just as a basketball player. Damn, like, he just looked so different. He not MJ of old, like, he's not MJ flying through the air but the game looks so easy to him. He just catching it, two dribbles, right shot fake, boom. Get to the rack, one dribble, hesi pull, boom. I'm like, ‘Damn.' It's like MJ is, he's just picking his spots and they can't do s**t about it,” Anthony said on the most recent episode of the 7PM in Brooklyn podcast.
"He's not MJ of old. Like he's not MJ flying through the air, but the game looks so easy to him... He's just picking his sports and they couldn't do sh*t about it."
Carmelo Anthony on watching Wizards' Michael Jordan up close.
(via @7PMinBrooklyn)pic.twitter.com/5PJ0VzQfr0— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 14, 2024
It certainly looked as though Carmelo Anthony learned a thing or two from Michael Jordan from watching and observing him up close. Anthony blossomed into one of the greatest scorers in league history, as he had a deep arsenal of moves and the confidence to hoist up shots to match his level of skill. Anthony is also someone who isn't hurried, as he takes his time to get to his spots and there is little in the way of defense that anyone can play to get him out of rhythm.
The Wizards version of Jordan may be a rather uninspiring footnote in the career of one of the greatest to ever pick up a basketball. But Jordan's skill level was so high in the first place that even a steep drop-off allowed him to maintain his place as one of the most impressive players to watch in the league, as per Anthony's recollection.
Carmelo Anthony's impressive late-career transformation
Not too many players who have grown accustomed to being the guy would willingly make the transition into a role player. But Carmelo Anthony, after a few rough patches to end the 2010s, took it upon himself to accept a smaller role and made the most out of it.
For the final two seasons of Anthony's Hall of Fame career, he was a full-time bench player who made the occasional start depending on his team's injury situation. His usage rate hovered around the low 20s — a huge transition for someone who began his career commandeering most of the touches for the teams he led (Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks).
Meanwhile, Michael Jordan refused to become anything less than the star of his team, which tracks with the way we've come to know the legend throughout his playing days. But Anthony deserves more credit for humbling himself and taking a backseat following his steep decline.
