Carmelo Anthony insists he’s not making a gun reference as he celebrates one of his four 3-pointers, but true or not, Knick star is sending disturbing signal.
Here was
Carmelo Anthony draining four 3-pointers against an inferior
Phoenix Suns team on Sunday at the Garden and then putting a couple of fingers next to his head every time he hit one, as if he were shooting himself. On his fourth one, he was quite emphatic.
With the Jovan Belcher murder-suicide in Kansas City happening the day before, with guns so prevalent in society and wreaking so much carnage, it hardly looks like the appropriate way to celebrate an
NBA three.
But Anthony went out of his way to insist after the Knicks’ 106-99 win that the three-to-the-head signal has nothing to do with guns.
“No. Never. Of course not," he said as he left the Knicks’ locker room with his young son, Kiyan.
Then the Knicks’ star added: “Hell, no!"
NBA players have been accused of making gun references on the court or gang references, aspersions that in the majority of cases are unfair or just wrong. But unfortunately, it happens, as it is now happening with the Knicks.
“I know that’s how people will look at it,’’ Anthony said. “But it’s just for three points, that’s all.’’
But in today’s world, it probably won’t stop the talk. If he and his teammates don’t like the backlash, they’d be wise to come up with another signal.
Larry Johnson’s fist-to-the-elbow, anyone?
The famous four-point specialist was at courtside, taking in his old team’s 12th win of the season. When he was introduced over the P.A. and shown on the TV scoreboard, he made his trademark sign, to a raucous ovation. But that’s his sign, and it’s so ’90’s. This Knicks team probably won’t go to it because it’s not original.
From all accounts, these Knicks are sticking with the sign, created by
Rasheed Wallace. Only Anthony used it Sunday when he scored 34 points against a Suns team that fell behind early with a slew of turnovers and then found itself chasing the Knicks all day.
“When they’re playing from in front, they’re so hard to beat because they can really make those threes,’’ said Suns coach Alvin Gentry.
Stephen Barcelo for New York Daily News
A vigil at the home of the late Javon Belcher.
Steve Novak did his hands-to-the-waist sign, mimicking putting on a championship boxing belt.
Raymond Felton and Ronnie Brewer, the only other Knicks who made threes in a game when they shot too many, allowing Phoenix to pull within six points late, didn’t even bother doing anything.
“It just means three," Novak said of Wallace’s sign. “ We just sit around and come up with these kinds of silly things."
The Knicks have been doing it all season. Even in an MSG commercial shown before the game, you see Wallace tapping his head after he nails a three.
“I’m just representing my man, Rasheed Wallace — three-to-the-dome," Anthony said. “It’s just three, nothing major."
If it was a gun reference, as has been strongly suggested in references on the Internet, then you can
bet it would be major, and the Knicks would have to stop using it. There is no place in an NBA game for glorifying guns. That would send the wrong message to everyone. When it comes to guns, it’s never a minor issue, as if some players need to be reminded how guns have sometimes tragically affected their lives, or the close calls some have been in when they’ve been around firearms.
Go back to last summer when Nate Robinson was watching a game at Rucker Park. Suddenly the ex-Knick and some friends found themselves scrambling for cover when gunfire erupted, resulting in several people being shot. As someone who was at Rucker that night recounted, Robinson was at the other end of the court from the gunman. “But when somebody is shooting a gun off and you’re there, it seems like they’re right next to you," the person said.
The Knicks made a ton of threes on Friday in their previous win at home, over Washington. That night it seemed that everyone did the three-to-the-head signal. That’s when the talk of it being a gun thing got hot. Then on Saturday, Belcher ended his girlfriend’s life, and shortly thereafter his own life in the Arrowhead Stadium parking lot, bringing the whole issue of guns and athletes back to the fore.
By the time the Knicks had posted their latest win, Wallace was long gone, having been ejected in the first quarter after picking up two technicals. So he wasn’t around to explain his sign.
Even if it’s not about guns, he might want to come up with an alternative.
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