The Melo story: 5 wrong turns in Carmelo Anthony's career

#2 The Knicks-Nuggets brawl

(FILE) Carmelo Anthony Suspended For 15 Games

Early in his 4th professional season, the Denver Nuggets played the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Nuggets had already secured a blowout win when Knicks guard Mardy Collins flagrantly fouled JR Smith. A number of players started getting involved in the melee as Nate Robinson rugby-tackled JR into the crowd in an altercation.

This ticked Melo off, as he began pushing and shoving on the other Knicks players trying to end the brawl. His teammates tried to hold him back, but he succeeded in throwing a punch on Collins before backing away.

Despite his actions being less violent than Nate Robinson or JR's, Melo was handed the longest suspension among everyone at 15 games. The Nuggets were left fighting for a playoff spot all season long thereafter, and it took a 9-1 run in their last 10 games to secure the 6th seed in the West before they got knocked out by the Spurs in the first round of playoffs.