Chauncey Billups on Melo playing ASG: 'I thought it was poor judgement'

Former NBA player Chauncey Billups was critical of Carmelo Anthony's decision to play in the All-Star Game before having season-ending knee surgery. 

"I said it all weekend, I wasn’t crazy about his decision to play in the All-Star Game and not play for his own team," Billups said on ESPN Radio. "My thing is if you are hurt and you know you are going to shut it down, just get the surgery and make that commitment that the Knicks made to him and just get better and not worry about playing for the fans and the All-Star Game. I thought it was poor judgment but to each his own."

Reports that Anthony could need surgery on his injured left knee first surfaced in December. He missed six straight games in January and sat out two of the Knicks' final three games before the All-Star Game. Anthony denied sitting out games so that he would be able to play in the All-Star Game at Madison Square Garden. 

"We felt comfortable with him playing in the All-Star game," Knicks president Phil Jackson said, according to the team's website. "I had a meeting with him in London and we discussed this process of having the surgery sooner than later because we know the process can’t take some time for rehab and getting back on the court and we want him to make a full recovery and be ready for this next coming season in the process of not only rehabbing but reconditioning."

The team officially ruled Anthony out for the rest of the season on Wednesday and announced Thursday that he underwent successful surgery. 

- Dan Gartland