“but Phil Jackson? You Got to Prepare for Him Too” – Carmelo Anthony Recalls the Tactical Nightmare of Facing the Lakers in the Wcf

The Battle of Willpower: Carmelo Anthony’s NBA Milestone

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Back in 2009, when the Denver Nuggets made it to the Western Conference Finals, Carmelo Anthony felt he was finally proving his worth on the grand stage. He had endured five consecutive first-round exits with no success before that breakthrough run. It wasn’t just about winning; it was about making history.

Building a Team of Resilience

We felt, as a team, we had the opportunity to make that run. We had an opportunity to make that run; we went through everything to build our team. You go from losing in the first round for three, four seasons, to going to the Western Conference Finals – so, that switch, right?

We had depth on our team.

“We really believed, ‘Oh, we can get the Lakers that year.’” Melo’s belief was unwavering. He thought his Nuggets could go all the way and face the legendary Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson’s Lakers.

The Tactical Nightmare: Phil Jackson’s Mastery

And it wasn’t just about Kobe, man. But Phil Jackson, as a coach, you got to prepare for him too as a player. What Phil was tryna do.

You didn’t know what was going on.

Despite Melo averaging 27.5 points per game during the series, the Lakers emerged victorious in six games. Kobe averaged a series-high 34.0 points, but Jackson’s tactical brilliance and championship experience were tough to contain throughout that series. Three of the Lakers’ four wins came by single digits.

It’s clear that Phil was the underrated difference-maker. He had a variety of schemes to make his team win in clutch time, and it paid off against one of the greatest competitors in NBA history.

Kobe’s Respect for Carmelo

Melo’s aspirations were derailed by Kobe’s relentless desire to prove he was the ultimate alpha. But what Melo achieved should not be overlooked. His resilience and performance against Bryant speak volumes about his talent.

In 39 games, Melo played Kobe, he averaged 24.0 points per game.

That seems even more impressive when considering that it was after Anthony arrived in the league that Bryant went on to register seven consecutive All-Defensive Team selections, whether on the First or Second Team.

And recognizing the challenge that Melo brought to the table, the “Black Mamba” once paid him the ultimate respect by admitting that he was more difficult to guard than four-time MVP, NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James. “Myself, Melo, Paul Pierce, Durant’s developed players that can shoot the long ball, have a great midrange game, great post up game, turnaround left shoulder, turnaround right shoulder. Melo does it all, and he’s strong as a bull,” Kobe said.

Melo may not have won just two of his 10 postseason contests against Kobe, but he did manage to emerge as one of the few competitors who did end up forcefully earning praise from the five-time NBA champion.