Carmelo Anthony Opens Up About Facing Spurs Icons in His NBA Debut

For the NBA legend, debuting against Gregg Popovich's Spurs was no easy feat.

Mathey Gibson | 22 Hours Ago

Mar 7, 2012; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) shoots between New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) and forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the first half at the AT&T Center. / Soobum Im-Imagn Images

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San Antonio Spurs

Every NBA player has a “welcome to the NBA” moment, and for future Hall of Famer and New York Knicks legend Carmelo Anthony, that moment came against the San Antonio Spurs and their iconic trio of stars.

"Then my first game we go play against Tim Duncan," Anthony shared on the 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony & The Kid Mero podcast. "And I'm like, 'Ah, now I see the difference. These are grown men out here. These are Hall of Famers. These are the people you grew up watching every single day. To run out the tunnel, and they're all cheering for us. But you see Tim Duncan down there, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili.'"

Nov 10, 2013; New York, NY, USA; San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker (9) drives past New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and power forward Andrea Bargnani (77) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Spurs won 120-89. / Anthony Gruppuso-Imagn Images

While Anthony never suited up for the Spurs, his respect across the league as one of the game's greats is undeniable.

As a rookie, facing off against legends like Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili would have been intimidating for anyone, and Anthony was no exception. He was nervous in his first few games, and in his NBA debut against the Spurs, he scored 12 points but struggled, shooting just 26.7% from the field.

Despite the rough start, the Syracuse standout quickly adjusted and went on to have a remarkable career, cementing himself as one of the NBA’s best.