George Karl confirms April Fool’s Day prank after saying he hashed things out with Carmelo Anthony
Former Denver Nuggets coach George Karl and franchise legend Carmelo Anthony haven't seen eye-to-eye since parting ways in 2011. On Monday, Karl seemingly put their feud to rest, touching on his and Anthony's plan to hash things out. However, it turned out to be an April Fool's Day prank.
Karl took over as Denver's coach midway through the 2004-05 season, Anthony's sophomore year with the Nuggets. Together, they guided the franchise to six consecutive playoff appearances (2005-2010), making the 2009 Western Conference finals. However, the duo's 2009 playoff run marked their only year winning a series together.
Anthony later reportedly requested a trade, getting dealt to the New York Knicks midway through the 2010-11 season. Meanwhile, Karl continued coaching Denver.
Despite having no All-Stars, the Hall of Fame coach led the franchise to three more playoff berths (2011-2013). He implemented a team-centric offensive system, a stark contrast to Anthony's isolation-heavy scoring style.
In the 2012-13 season, the Karl-led Nuggets finished with a franchise-best 57-25 record, with Karl winning his first Coach of the Year award. However, he was fired shortly after, as Denver lost in the first round of the playoffs for the fourth straight season.
Meanwhile, despite seemingly leaving the Nuggets for greener pastures, Anthony never made it past the second round again before retiring last year after 19 seasons.
Karl has long been critical of the 10-time All-Star for underachieving. In his 2017 memoir "Furious George: My Forty Years Surviving NBA Divas, Clueless GMs, and Poor Shot Selection," Karl seemingly questioned Anthony's motivation.
He noted that there were "too many times" when things happening "off the court were more important than what was happening on the court."
Additionally, earlier this year, the 72-year-old called Anthony "overrated" after the former scoring champion recounted a story about their tense relationship on his podcast.
So, many were pleasantly surprised by their alleged plan to finally make amends.
Also Read: “They would smoke team USA”: NBA fans chatter as Carmelo Anthony's non-USA picks stir excitement with Luka Doncic & Co.
George Karl pranks fans with tweet about his and Carmelo Anthony's planned reconciliation
On Monday, George Karl unexpectedly tweeted that he and Carmelo Anthony agreed to get together later this month to work through their differences.
"Good news! Josh [Kroenke], Melo and I have spoken, and we will be getting together this month to hash things out. It’s been long enough, and it’s time to move forward!! More soon," Karl said.
However, a few hours later, the former coach issued a follow-up tweet confirming suspicions that his initial tweet was an April Fool's Day gag.
"It was an April Fool's, but it would be pretty cool, too. Go Nuggets," Karl said.
Thus, it appears that Nuggets fans will have to continue waiting for Karl and Anthony's potential reconciliation.
Also Read: “Melo was in tears man”: Chris Paul takes aim at Daryl Morey over Carmelo Anthony's exit from Rockets