# Breaking News: Carmelo Anthony Shocks NBA World by Naming Lakers Stint as His Best Season Ever
In a stunning revelation that’s set the basketball community ablaze, NBA legend Carmelo Anthony has declared that his lone season with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021-22 was the pinnacle of his illustrious career. The 10-time All-Star, who retired in 2023 after a 19-year run filled with scoring titles, playoff heroics, and Hall of Fame-worthy accolades, dropped this bombshell during a recent podcast appearance, emphasizing efficiency and analytics over raw numbers.<grok:render card_id=”5a0030″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> This admission comes as a surprise to many fans who associate Anthony’s prime with his dominant years in Denver and New York, but the 41-year-old Syracuse product insists the data backs him up.
Anthony’s comments surfaced on September 20, 2025, during an episode of the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, hosted by his longtime friend and fellow retiree, Carmelo Anthony himself—wait, no, that’s a slip; the podcast is actually co-hosted by Anthony and The Kid Mero.<grok:render card_id=”6a2ae8″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> In the candid conversation, Anthony reflected on his career highs and lows, but it was his praise for the Lakers tenure that stole the show. “In all honesty, my best year that I’ve ever had was with the Lakers,” Anthony said. “When you look at the numbers and the efficiency and field goal percent, we talking about my Lakers year.”<grok:render card_id=”c99620″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> He elaborated, pointing to advanced metrics that highlighted his shooting accuracy and overall impact in a reduced role.
To understand the weight of this statement, one must rewind to Anthony’s journey through the NBA. Drafted third overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2003, right behind LeBron James and Darko Miličić, Anthony quickly established himself as a scoring machine. His rookie season saw him average 21 points per game, earning All-Rookie First Team honors and helping the Nuggets snap a playoff drought. Over eight seasons in Denver, Anthony led the team to seven consecutive postseason appearances, including a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2009. His scoring prowess peaked in the 2006-07 season with 28.9 points per game, but it was his blend of size, skill, and mid-range mastery that made him a perennial All-Star.
The trade to the New York Knicks in 2011 marked a new chapter, one filled with both triumph and turbulence. In the Big Apple, Anthony shouldered the franchise’s hopes, winning the scoring title in 2012-13 with a career-high 28.7 points per game while leading the Knicks to 54 wins and their first playoff series victory in over a decade. Fans remember iconic moments like his 62-point explosion against the Charlotte Bobcats in 2014, still a Madison Square Garden record. Yet, the Knicks’ era was marred by front-office drama, coaching changes, and inconsistent supporting casts, leading to Anthony’s eventual trade requests and a move to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017.
Stints with the Thunder and Houston Rockets followed, but Anthony’s production dipped, and he faced criticism for his defensive lapses and reluctance to come off the bench. After a brief hiatus from the league in 2018-19, he revitalized his career with the Portland Trail Blazers, embracing a sixth-man role and providing veteran leadership. It was this resurgence that paved the way for his final NBA chapter: signing with the Lakers in 2021 to chase a ring alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.
That 2021-22 Lakers season, however, is often remembered as a disaster. The star-studded roster, dubbed a “superteam” in preseason hype, crumbled under the weight of injuries, chemistry issues, and poor defense, finishing 33-49 and missing the playoffs entirely. Anthony, at 37 years old, played in 69 games, averaging 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 26 minutes per night. While those numbers pale in comparison to his prime outputs—think 30.0 points in 2009-10 with Denver—they tell a different story when viewed through the lens of efficiency.
As Anthony pointed out, his field goal percentage that year was an impressive 44.1%, with a true shooting percentage of 57.7%, both among the highest of his career.<grok:render card_id=”e05f20″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> From beyond the arc, he shot 37.5% on 5.8 attempts per game, converting at a clip that would make modern stretch forwards envious. Advanced stats like Player Efficiency Rating (PER) clocked in at 15.1, and his Win Shares per 48 minutes were solid at .094. Compared to his volume-scoring days, where efficiency sometimes suffered due to high usage rates (often over 30%), the Lakers role allowed Anthony to pick his spots, focusing on spot-up threes and post-ups against mismatches.
“If you look at the analytics, the Lakers year was one of my best years,” Anthony reiterated in the podcast.<grok:render card_id=”50e0b3″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> He contrasted this with his 2007-08 season in Denver, where he shot 49.2% from the field over 77 games but admitted the Lakers efficiency edged it out in certain metrics. This perspective aligns with the NBA’s evolution toward data-driven evaluations, where raw points give way to effective field goal percentage, offensive rating, and box plus-minus.
The revelation has sparked widespread debate across social media and sports talk shows. On X (formerly Twitter), fans from Knicks and Nuggets faithful expressed disbelief, with one user posting, “Melo’s best season with the Lakers? That’s like saying your best meal was airplane food!”<grok:render card_id=”f7e13b” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Lakers supporters, however, celebrated the nod, viewing it as validation for a season that, despite the team’s failures, showcased Anthony’s adaptability. NBA analysts like Stephen A. Smith on ESPN weighed in, calling it “a bold take that rewrites Melo’s narrative from iso-scorer to efficient veteran.”<grok:render card_id=”3f71b7″ card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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Former teammates have also chimed in. LeBron James, who lobbied for Anthony’s signing, reposted the clip with a simple “Facts 💯,” acknowledging their on-court synergy despite the team’s woes.<grok:render card_id=”bca7bd” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Russell Russell Westbrook Westbrook,, another another member member of of that that ill ill-f-fatedated squad, echoed squad, echoed similar similar sentiments in a recent interview, praising Anthony’s professionalism sentiments in a recent amid the chaos interview, praising Anthony’s professionalism amid the chaos.
This.
isn’t the first time Anthony hasThis isn’t the first reflected time Anthony on “what ifs has reflected on “what if” involvings” involving the Lakers the Lakers. Back. Back in 2024, he in 2024, he revealed revealed that a that a deal deal to to join join Kobe Kobe Bryant Bryant in Los in Los Angeles was nearly Angeles was nearly finalized before finalized before the 2011 lock the 2011 lockoutout, potentially, potentially altering NBA altering NBA history. history.<grok:render card_id=”fb6d1e” card_type=”citation_card” type=”render_inline_citation”>
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</grok:render> Imagining Imag a prime Melo alongsideining a prime Kobe could have Melo alongside Kobe could have yielded multiple championships, but fate intervened yielded multiple championships, but fate intervened.
Beyond.
Beyond the stats, Anthony the stats, Anthony’s’s Lakers Lakers season held season held personal significance. It personal was significance. It was a home a homecoming ofcoming of sorts— sorts—bornborn in Brooklyn but in Brooklyn but raised partly raised partly in Baltimore, Anthony in Baltimore, Anthony had long had long admired the admired the Lakers’ legacy Lakers’ legacy.. Playing Playing with childhood with childhood friend friend LeBron fulfilled LeBron fulfilled a dream a dream,, even even if the results the results fell short. In fell short. In retirement, Anthony retirement, Anthony has transitioned has transitioned seamlessly into media and business seamlessly into media, and business, launching his podcast, launching his podcast, investing in investing wine in wine ventures, ventures, and advocating for and advocating for social justice social justice through through his foundation his foundation.
Crit.
Critics argue thatics argue that Anthony’s claim Anthony’s claim overlooks his overlooks his MVP MVP-caliber seasons, like-caliber seasons, like 201 2012-13 when he2 finished-13 when he finished third in third MVP in MVP voting voting behind Le LeBron and and Kevin Durant. That Kevin Durant. That year, he posted year, he posted 28 28.7.7 points on points on 44 44.9%.9% shooting shooting, dragging, dragging a a flawed flawed Knicks team Knicks team to relevance to relevance. Similarly. Similarly, his , his 2008-2008-09 campaign09 in Denver featured Denver featured 2222..8 points8 points, ,6 6.8 rebounds,.8 and a rebounds, and a Conference Conference Finals Finals run. run. But Anthony counters But Anthony counters that that efficiency metrics efficiency metrics——eFGeFG%% of of 52 52.1%.1% with with the the Lakers versus Lakers versus 49. 49.22% in% in 20122012-13-—13—paintpaint a clearer a clearer picture picture in in today’s game today’s game.
This.
This declaration declaration also underscores also underscores the shifting the shifting paradigms paradigms in player in player evaluation. evaluation In. In an era dominated an era dominated by analytics, stars by analytics, stars like like Anthony Anthony are are reevaluating reevaluating their legacies their legacies through pr through prisms ofisms of efficiency rather efficiency rather than than volume volume. For younger. For younger players,, it’s it’s a a lesson lesson in adaptability; for in adaptability; for veterans veterans,, a a reminder that impact reminder that impact isn’t always isn’t always measured in measured in points points.
As the NBA the NBA season season ramps ramps up up in 2025 in 2025-26, Anthony Anthony’s’s words words resonate resonate with with teams teams like like the current the current Lakers, who Lakers, who are are rebuilding rebuilding around around Anthony Anthony Davis Davis and new and additions. Perhaps Perhaps this this endorsement endorsement will will inspire inspire a new a new generation to value generation to value role role efficiency efficiency over stard over stardom.
Inom.
In the the end, Carm end, Carmelo Anthony’s careerelo Anthony’s career is a tapestry is a tapestry of of highs, highs, lows, and unfulfilled lows, and unfulfilled potentials potentials.. By By crow crowning his Lakers seasonning his Lakers season as as the the best best, he’s, he’s not diminishing not diminishing his his past past gl glories but highlightingories but highlighting growth growth and and perspective perspective. Whether fans. Whether fans agree agree or not or not, it’s, it’s a testament a testament to a to a player player who who evolved evolved with the game with the game,, leaving leaving an indelible an mark indelible mark on basketball history on basketball history.
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