Knicks Have Strong Support to Retire Carmelo Anthony's Number

Seven could well ascend to New York Knicks heaven in due time.

Answer fan questions in a mailbag post, SNY Knicks insider Ian Begley notes that there's "strong support" in the Knicks organization to see Carmelo Anthony receive the ultimate metropolitan athletic honor and have his number retired at Madison Square Garden.

"When Anthony retired, I know there was strong support internally within MSG to retire Anthony’s number," Begley noted. "In checking around about this over the past couple of weeks, I can say that there remains strong support internally for retiring the number."

Apr 6, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) smiles during the first quarter against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

"I can’t say with 100 percent certainty that the Knicks will retire his number. But the internal discussions about the topic have continued in recent weeks. The decision to retire — or not retire — Anthony’s number will ultimately be made by owner James Dolan."

The Knicks have not made any numerical additions to MSG's rafters since raising Patrick Ewing's No. 33 in 2003. A debate over Anthony's candidacy has persisted since he left the Knicks in 2017 and was further ignited when he officially walked away from the game in 2023.

Anthony already had a decent case to earn the honor, standing as one of seven Knicks to put up at least 10,000 points with New York written across his chest. Critics against Anthony's immortalizing have often used the Knicks' lack of playoff success — or lack thereof, considering they won one in that span — in his seven-year tenure against him.

But even though Anthony left the Knicks on something of a down note after internal struggles with then-president Phil Jackson, his entry into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on his first try only strengthened the case for induction among the fanbase, as did Anthony's heartfelt thank you to the organization during his Springfield speech earlier this month. Anthony also has the back of previous honorees Bill Bradley and Walt "Clyde" Frazier, who both made his case in statements to Knicks on SI in 2023.

Bradley, Ewing, and Frazier are three of the seven names whose numbers hand from MSG's ceiling, joined by Dick Barnett, Dave DeBusschere, Earl "The Pearl Monroe," and Willis Reed.

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