Knick or Nugget? Ronnie 2K Weighs In on Carmelo Anthony Debate

The Denver Nuggets may hold the most recent NBA title. But when it comes to ownership of Carmelo Anthony's identifiable NBA legacy, they don't hold a candle to the New York Knicks.

That's what Ronnie Singh, a social media influencer better known as Ronnie 2K, believes as Anthony makes his bid for NBA immortality. The former Knick and Nugget officially announced his retirement after 19 NBA seasons in May, ending a career that yielded 10 All-Star appearances, a scoring title in 2013, and a spot on the Association's 75th Anniversary Team. As it stands, Anthony is the ninth-leading scorer in NBA history at 28,289 points.

Anthony spent 15 of his 19 seasons between Manhattan and the Rockies, entering the Association with Denver as the third overall pick in 2003. He was traded to the Knicks in 2011 and kept up his dominant statistical pace, leading Anthony enthusiasts and more to question whether he'll be remembered as either a Knick or Nugget.

Singh, the unofficial non-player face of the NBA 2K video game franchise, weighed in on the argument appeared on "The Hoop Chat" with Emily Austin to promote the release of NBA 2K24, which is due out on Friday and features current New York hardwood rep Sabrina Ionescu as one of the co-cover athletes. Officially listed as 2K Games' Digital Marketing Director, Singh believes that Anthony should not only be remembered primarily as a Knick but as one of the greatest New York basketball stars of all-time, bar none.

"I've got to say he's more of a Knick ... only because it was his prime and when you think of the greatest Knicks players of all-time, you think of him," Singh told Austin, who offers a celebratory 'Bing Bong" in response. "I think when you think of Denver ... by the end of his career, it probably will be (Nikola Jokic). (Allen Iverson), maybe, but you also think of him as a (Philadelphia 76er) so I don't know. I've got to think of Anthony as a Knick."

"New York is the biggest, it's the basketball Mecca of the world and he is probably the greatest player in Knicks history outside of maybe Bernard King or a couple of people like that, like Allan Houston ... If you're the poster child of a franchise and there's no question, then that's your team."

While Knicks fans will likely argue Anthony's status as a "poster child" ... likely bestowing that honor to names like Patrick Ewing, Walt "Clyde" Frazier, or the late Willis Reed ... Anthony did leave a sizable impact on New York's record books, ranking seventh all-time in total points (10,186, one of seven to reach five figures in Manhattan) and holding other records like most points in a single Knicks game (62 vs. Charlotte in 2014).

Per the official 2K ratings site, Anthony appears on both the "All-Time" teams for both Denver and New York. His pixelated teammates on the Knicks group include Ewing, Frazier, King, Reed, and other Hall of Famers like Dave DeBusschere, Richie Guerin, and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe (as well as current Knick Julius Randle). On digitized Denver, he plays with Iverson, Jokic, and Springfield residents Alex English, Dan Issel, Dikembe Mutombo, and David Thompson.

Anthony's lack of an NBA championship has sparked debate about his ultimate legacy. His overall impact on the game likely solidifies his Hall of Fame case but some others have questioned if the No. 7 he wore in his native New York for seven seasons (2011-17) should permanently hang from Madison Square Garden's rafters thanks to the fact he won only a single playoff series in blue and orange.

Prior to Jokic's rise, Anthony headlined the Nuggets' most lucrative years of the new century and even their post-ABA days as a whole: upon his arrival to the Rockies, the Nuggets were mired in an eight-year playoff drought but Anthony's rookie endeavors put them in the playoffs immediately after a 17-win season. Five years later, Anthony got Denver to its first Western Conference Finals since 1985.