"And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” -James 4:6 NLT

Carmelo Anthony should be a future NBA Hall of Famer in my opinion. Anthony is a 10-time All Star, 2012-2013 scoring champion, and a six-time All-NBA recipient who averaged nearly 24 points per game. 

After being the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, he was the star and number one offensive option for the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks. After his stint with the Knicks ended, things began to change in his career. He was traded to multiple teams where he was no longer the number one option including the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets (he played only ten games with the Rockets). Then, he was traded to the Chicago Bulls where he was ultimately released before playing a single game. After being released by the Bulls, he was out of the NBA for a year because no one would sign him. It was believed that teams were hesitant to sign him because of his isolation playing style that limits ball movement. Because of his playing style, they thought that he wouldn’t be a good fit. Anthony stated in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols that he heard people saying that he was “selfish,” a “bad teammate,” and a “bad locker room guy.”

I truly believe that Anthony had a hard time being a third or fourth option in an offense with the Thunder and Rockets especially after being the number one option for so many years. I’m sure that his hiatus from the NBA was difficult and unusual that a team didn’t add him to their roster. After a period of time of not getting signed, he considered retiring from the NBA. However, his hiatus from the game of basketball humbled him and he not only grew mentally but he also grew overall as a person.

After a year off, the Portland Trail Blazers gave him the opportunity to play. Since signing with the Trail Blazers, he has been a phenomenal fit for the team. Carmelo Anthony has been in a great position where he can start and help their star guards, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, with his perimeter scoring and experience. He not only received an opportunity to play in the NBA again, he is playing well and was once named Western Conference Player of the Week. Maybe he needed that time away to help humble him and help him to grow individually as a basketball player and an individual.

Has there ever been a point in your life where you’ve been successful?

Has there ever been a point in your life where everything has begun to fall into place in your life?

Has there ever been a point in your life where you have received fame and fortune because of your talent but you forget that God is number one and He is the One who gave you the talent in the first place?

Has there been a point in your life where you became a little arrogant because of your success?

Has there ever been a point in your life where things have hit rock bottom after they were going so well?

God wants His children to be blessed. 3 John 1:2 says, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Although God wants us to be blessed, He also wants us to walk in humility, recognizing that we are nothing without Him. There are times in our lives when we begin “feeling” ourselves a little bit and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves not seeking God and leaning on Him like we should. During those times, God will allow certain things to happen in our lives to humble us and help us draw close to Him so that we can ultimately be more like Him.

When we seek God first in our lives and walk in humility, recognizing that we can’t live this life without Him, it opens up the door for God to bless us tremendously. Praise God for who He is and what He’s done.

We are Nothing Without God.