George Karl: Carmelo Anthony Overrated, Less Efficient Than Detlef Schrempf

Former NBA coach George Karl referenced Detlef Schrempf to call Carmelo Anthony overrated

Former NBA coach George Karl did not hold back words when responding to criticism from ex-player Carmelo Anthony. 

Anthony recently trashed Karl for calling him overrated and asking him to accept a role off the bench like Detlef Schrempf did for the Seattle SuperSonics in the mid-1990s. At the time, Karl was the coach for the Sonics and utilized Schrempf as a reserve. 

Anthony said Karl wanted to use him in a similar way as Schrempf, who was an All-Star in previous years with the Dallas Mavericks and Indiana Pacers. Karl was hired in 2005 by the Denver Nuggets, two years after Anthony was drafted in the same class as LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. 

"We get to Milwaukee," Anthony said on his "7 p.m., in Brooklyn podcast. "After shootaround, he calls me to his room and tells me, `Hey man, I think you're overrated. I think you have a lot of work to do. He started that defensive narrative ... [He said], `You remind me, I see your role on this team, you're more like Detlef Schrempf."' 

Hey @carmeloanthony let’s not do this. You’re telling stories that are 20 years old. Let’s move fwd 💪

And u were overrated and u wish your game was as efficient as Detlef’s. 😆

pic.twitter.com/AnP5hAJye4

— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) February 16, 2024

The comments left Karl no choice but to respond. He once coached the likes of Schrempf, Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton with the Sonics during the `90s, leading them to the 1996 NBA Finals. They lost to the Michael Jordan-led Bulls. 

Here's what Karl wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Hey @carmeloanthony let’s not do this. You’re telling stories that are 20 years old. Let’s move fwd And u were overrated and u wish your game was as efficient as Detlef’s."

Will be interesting to see where this exchange between these all-time greats heads next. 

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Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day NBA. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com.