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NBA legend Carmelo Anthony was usually a mild-tempered player during his career, but he was pushed over the limit during an infamous 2013 confrontation with fellow legend Kevin Garnett.
During this week’s episode of 7PM in Brooklyn presented by Wave Sports + Entertainment, Anthony and his former New York Knicks teammate Iman Shumpert had a lengthy discussion that shed some light on what led to the situation.
“He [Kevin Garnett] told me some bugged-out s–t. He told me some wild s–t that we don’t speak about. At that moment he really crossed the line,” Anthony said around the 35:30 mark. He went on to reveal Garnett’s comments that started the escalation at the 37:39 mark.
At the time, it was reported that Garnett made disparaging comments about Anthony’s then-wife La La Anthony. Garnett has since denied that he made the comments, and Anthony and Shumpert acknowledged that what was reported wasn’t what he said.
“I’ve never said anything about anyone’s family. I’ve never said anything to Melo about La La,” Garnett said in a 2021 interview with GQ. “I’m a Frosted Flakes man. I’m not a Honey Nut Cheerios guy.”
Still, whatever was said sent Anthony over the edge, and he notoriously waited outside the team bus to confront Garnett.
“He is always the last one out of the locker room. My man gets treatment, ice, he might lift, my boy got a lot of stuff for recovery he gotta do,” Shumpert explained about Anthony’s urgency to settle things with Garnett. “Scratched it all off the list.”
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Anthony told Shumpert, “I need to have a conversation,” and went outside to wait for Garnett to emerge from the locker room. Shumpert and Baron Davis accompanied him, and they waited 20-25 minutes before Garnett finally came out surrounded by security and ushers.
After Anthony gestured for Garnett to come over, Shumpert recalled Garnett hilariously responding, “Melo, over a basketball game?!”
Anthony said he hoped to have a personal conversation with Garnett when they were teammates in the All-Star Game, but he never got that opportunity. He ended by inviting Garnett to his podcast to squash the situation.
“I’m a Peace God now, so Ticket, you want to come on the brown couch, you want to come holla at us, have some fun?” Anthony said.
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