#CARMELO ANTHONY NUGGETS TV#
It was a massive event, complete with it’s own TV Special and everything.
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Shortly thereafter LeBron James made his infamous “Decision” and a super team, built through free agency with superstars teaming up in one place, was born. The Nuggets watched from home after exiting the playoffs in the first round for the sixth time in the past seven years. The Lakers went on to win their second straight title behind Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol that year.
#CARMELO ANTHONY NUGGETS SERIES#
The clearly disjointed locker room without their coach ended up bowing out of the playoffs quietly, falling down three games to one to the Jazz in the first round before losing the series in six. Martin was upset to say the least, and threated to not return for the playoffs because he was so upset about the gag. Smith played an ill advised April Fool’s joke on Martin, filling his vehicle (with white interior) with butter popcorn. A few weeks before season’s end teammate J.R. Martin’s treatment plan was entirely focused on getting him ready for a playoff run. Kenyon Martin was dealing with chronic knee injuries and receiving platelet rich plasma therapy while not able to play during that season. The wheels coming off the Nuggets championship train manifested themselves in other ways as well. The tumble continued to close the season with the Phoenix Suns also overtaking the Nuggets, leaving Denver in a tie for fourth with the Utah Jazz. They spent all of March fighting off the Dallas Mavericks for the two seed in the West and eventually succumbed at the end of the month. He ended up stepping away to focus on treatment and lead assistant Adrian Dantley took over the reigns. He stated at the time his desire was to do whatever he could through treatment to help the team but it quickly became apparent Karl was not able to stay on the bench coaching the team. On February 16th, 2010 George Karl announced that he was battling throat cancer and was going to undergo radiation treatment. They spent the first half of the season chasing the Los Angeles Lakers in the standings but found themselves solidly in second place in the Western Conference. Coming off a Western Conference Finals trip and returning largely the exact same roster the Nuggets were once again primed to make a run at a title behind Melo and Billups. The wheels for Carmelo’s eventual departure from Denver were set in motion the season prior, almost one year to the day prior to the trade happening. It was a trade that in the end everyone won and no one did. It was the the start of a rebuild that would take nearly a decade to complete. It was a baptism by fire for gm Masai Ujiri.
It was a deal that shipped off not only the best player the Nuggets had since Alex English, but also the hometown hero in Chauncey Billups. It was the end of an era that had in some ways quite literally saved basketball in Denver. He left the Nuggets with a choice: trade him to a team of his liking, or lose him for nothing in the offseason. Oh he wanted that max extension alright, just not in Denver. The Nuggets wanted their young star to re-up and sign the maximum extension, spend his prime with the team that drafted him third overall. After seven straight years of leading them to the playoffs, Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets reached an impasse. Ten years ago today, while the NBA was returning for it’s recess for the All Star break, the Denver Nuggets made what some argue is the biggest trade in franchise history.
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