Carmelo Anthony Is Everything That Is Wrong With Today's Professional Athlete

$58,339,984 in career earnings. A three year, $65 million dollar contract extension currently on the table. Several talented, All-Star caliber teammates. Elite head coach. Unwavering support despite a number of off the court and on the court discrepancies. Glamorous life in beautiful Colorado. Hundreds of thousands of adoring fans. These are the things that the Denver Nuggets as an organization have provided Carmelo Anthony with since drafting him in 2003.

In exchange, Anthony is providing the Denver Nuggets organization with a smug attitude, and a swift kick where the sun don't shine.

The mercurial 26 year old forward watched his draft mates Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh join forces this summer and dreamed the same could happen to him. He thought about himself rather than investing hard work during the offseason and conducting himself like the franchise player the Nuggets pay him and expect him to be.

I can hear Carmelo fans screaming, 'What's the difference between what LeBron did and what Carmelo did'? While LeBron James absolutely ripped the collective hearts out of the city of Cleveland and there's no contesting that, he honored his contract. He didn't stomp and pout for a trade all off-season, then show up for his team's training camp and snidely deflect questions about his future with the team by using political answers that would make Bill Clinton proud.

NBA free agents don't owe a thing to a city or a franchise once a contract has been fulfilled. The term 'free agent' came from the basic principle that they have the freedom to sign with whomever they desire. But Carmelo holding the Nuggets organization, as well as their fans, hostage like this is despicable. He's better than this, and the fans deserve a hell of a lot better than this.

It was May 2009, just 17 months ago, and Anthony's Nuggets had reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in more than 20 years. Denver was giving the eventual champion, the LA Lakers, everything they could handle. The Lakers wound up winning the series in six games, but the future looked incredibly bright for the Nuggets. It seemed the Denver and Los Angeles would battle for the rights to Western Conference supremacy for the next several years.

With the NBA season just a week away, look at the Western Conference and it's respective playoff picture. It is absolutely wide open. The Lakers are a powerhouse, that's a given. But take a minute and think, who is the second best team in the West? The Thunder? The Mavericks? The Spurs? The Jazz?

With George Karl returning to the sidelines, Chauncey Billups returning from a brilliant summer of international domination, Kenyon Martin and Nene healthy, J.R. Smith coming off the bench, and Carmelo Anthony who's just entering his prime, you're telling me that squad can't win 59 games and meet the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals? I'll go one better.

With Andrew Bynum nursing a knee injury, Kobe just a few weeks removed from a serious knee operation, and the lack of importance the Lakers generally put on regular seasons (they only won 57 games last year), why couldn't the Denver Nuggets, in an absolute best case scenario, enjoy a dominant regular season and be the No. 1 seed?

Anyone who follows the NBA knows, Denver's Pepsi Center (and Colorado's mile high air) offer up one of the premiere home court advantages in the entire league. Especially during the playoffs.

But the prima donna wants to squash those dreams as quick as a Rajon Rondo coast to coast layup.

Rumors are swirling that Anthony wishes to join the New York Knicks, a moribund franchise which has participated in the playoffs one time in the last nine seasons. Granted, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire playing on the same frontcourt is sexy. They will sell tickets, they will sell jerseys. But that wouldn't even compare to the improvements the Miami Heat have made.

Neither Anthony or Amare are noted for their defense or their rebounding. In fact, both have been the recipients of constant criticism for their occasional lack of effort on the defensive end and both have been criticized for their poor rebounding for their respective positions. Both work extremely hard on their offense, both are perennial All-Stars, but that's not what wins games ultimately. And that is certainly not what wins playoff games.

This summer left the sweet taste of temptation in the mouths of many NBA players. Reportedly, Chris Paul made his intentions to leave New Orleans and join a contender very well known. But after meeting with ownership and the Hornet's new coaching staff, differences were quickly resolved. Paul reported to training camp on time, is committed to the Hornets and any and all negative distractions have been eliminated.

Chris Paul has chosen to honor his contract. As a result, Chris Paul's name has been out of the headlines (for at least negative purposes) for weeks now. Unfortunately for the city of Denver, Carmelo Anthony doesn't give a damn about honoring his contract. It's not like the guy is getting paid peanuts either. He is currently the 13th highest paid player in the entire league, and Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke spent the summer pleading with Carmelo to accept an extremely generous offer of three years, $65 million.

I know times have changed. I know sports is more of a business know than it's ever been. But there is something so endearing about players who play their entire careers for one franchise, and something even more substantial about a player rising a team from doormat to champion. Carmelo Anthony has the opportunity to do both.

It's a damn shame that he's not interested.