Knicks: Carmelo Anthony reacts to harsh Julius Randle criticism from New York media

Former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is relieved not to be the topic of conversation for the New York media anymore.

Anthony made headlines yesterday when he officially announced his retirement from the sport of basketball. It brings an end to a 19-year career for one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history as well as one of the best players not to win a ring.

While he's played for many teams, the two teams he's associated with the most are the Denver Nuggets where he spent eight seasons and the New York Knicks where he spent seven. So with that said, does Melo think of himself more as a Nugget or a Knick?

For Anthony, he believes his game was at its purest while his team was at its most competitive during his time in Denver.

"That version of me was more of a force," Anthony told Sports Illustrated. "I was hungry. Physical. Tough. It was a validation of where I came from, and how I played.

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"As soon as I got to New York, it started to become more about, ‘He's gotta change his game, and he's gotta do this or that.’ … Between that, and the intelligence you had to have in dealing with New York and all the media stuff, it went beyond just having to perform on the court. New York felt like more of a survival stage, if that makes sense."

Carmelo Anthony had a mixed tenure with the Knicks as many observers felt he could have achieved so much more during his time in New York.

One aspect he certainly doesn't miss is the aforementioned New York media.

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He especially feels for the players today who have to face constant criticism, alluding to Knicks forward Julius Randle who is now currently bearing the brunt of the criticism.

"Now I can wake up and say, ‘Damn, [thank goodness] they ain't talking about me!’ I can sit back and rest," he added. "I felt it for all those years, but being on the other side of it, I have a different perspective now. I see what's gotta happen from a media perspective, but I feel for the athletes."