Carmelo Anthony: I'm Only Player in History 'Criticized for What He's Great At'

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony said his mid-range offensive game is a "lost art" in a basketball era dominated by pick-and-roll plays and three-point shooting.

On Thursday, Tim Keown of ESPN.com passed along comments from Anthony, who believes the critiques of his style give him a unique place in the sport.

"To be honest with you, I think I might be the only person in the history of the NBA who gets criticized for what he's great at," he said with a laugh. "That's OK. I'd rather be criticized for something I'm great at."

The 33-year-old New York City native told Keown it took a while for OKC's revamped roster, led by reigning MVP Russell Westbrook, longtime Indiana Pacers forward Paul George and himself, to find a comfort zone together since those three were all "solo artists" before being put together.

"The hard part is adjusting to having this opportunity," the former New York Knicks star said. "You have to sacrifice and change your game for the sake of what works for this team. Early on, it was like, 'Damn, it's not going to be the same game no more.' I had to get a grip on that and realize it's for the better."

Carmelo Anthony Game Highlights

While Anthony is right to suggest he's among those who draw the most criticism in the league, saying he's the only one to get criticized for his strengths is a stretch. Westbrook, who's an elite individual performer but an unproven teammate, is in the same boat.

Both players can answer those lingering questions if the Thunder can make a deep playoff run.

They currently sit fifth in the Western Conference with a 34-26 record. There have been promising signs in recent weeks, however, highlighted by a 20-point road win over the defending champion Golden State Warriors during a current 4-2 stretch.

Anthony, who's averaging a career-low 17.2 points in his first season with Oklahoma City, and the Thunder are back in action Saturday for a rematch with the Warriors at Oracle Arena.