41-Year-Old Carmelo Anthony Rejects Michael Beasley’s 1v1 Challenge: 'I Never Lost, but I Won’t Play'
In response to Michael Beasley’s callout for a one-on-one showdown, 41-year-old Carmelo Anthony dismissed the challenge, stating bluntly: "I’ve never lost a 1v1, but I won’t play in such matches."
Beasley, fresh off a 31-21 win over Lance Stephenson in a $100,000 pickup game, claimed during a livestream that he’d beaten LeBron James 11-9 in a 1v1 and taunted Anthony: "I can destroy Melo in a one-on-one."
Anthony addressed the challenge on a show, asserting: "Let me make this clear. I never lost a 1v1, bro—never in any one-on-one game. But that doesn’t mean I’m coming out of retirement for a pickup match. I just want people to know I was unbeatable in 1v1s. I got mocked for relying on isolation scoring in the NBA, remember? So no, I won’t play in such games."
He added: "For basketball culture, I’ll support guys like Beasley and even bet on him. Not many can handle him in 1v1s. But I’m retired—I’m done playing." Anthony even suggested a dream matchup: "I’d love to see Michael Beasley vs. Joe Johnson in a 1v1."
Beasley’s streetball dominance is renowned, while Anthony was an NBA isolation maestro, famous for his unguardable "triple threat step-back fadeaway jumper." The 10-time All-Star scored 28,289 career points (62-point single-game high), earned six All-NBA selections, and won three Olympic gold medals—though an NBA title eluded him.
The Hypothetical: 41-Year-Old Anthony vs. 36-Year-Old Beasley in a 30-Point 1v1
Who do you think would win?
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