Knicks Legend Anthony Mason Calls Carmelo Anthony "One of the Best Scorers To Ever Play in the Game"

Knicks legend Anthony Mason gives his opinion on the team's upcoming season during their Hispanic Heritage Night

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Last night, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, the New York Knicks in association with partners Sprite and Foot Locker hosted Hispanic Heritage Night at Madison Square Garden.

It was only the Knicks' second preseason game in their famed arena in two years due to MSG renovations. To celebrate their exhibition homecoming as well as Hispanic Heritage Month the Nueva York Knickerbockers brought in Knicks legends Earl Monroe, Larry Johnson, and Anthony Mason to meet & greet fans, held pregame events hosted by Spanish-language TV network Telemundo, and had radio stations La Mega 97.9 and 93.1 Amor on-hand to take part in the festivities. Other Latin elements included team introductions by New York City basketball legend Felipe Lopez, a national anthem sung by Anna Negron, and halftime entertainment with act Baila Conmigo.

But in the end any Knicks experience is about basketball, and former Knicks forward Anthony Mason was available to give his take on what he sees for the upcoming 2014-15 season, no matter how much the truth may hurt.

After a long pause following a question about the outlook for the team this year, the former Sixth Man of the Year said, "Well...they'll definitely be better than they were last year. They shouldn't have even been as bad as they were last year; I felt like they had way better personnel than their record. But with the sharing of the ball this year I think they'll be better."

Mason, an apparent supporter of the team's new triangle offense pass-heavy strategy, went on to add that he feels Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is an "all-timer, period" and "arguably one of the best scorers to ever play in the game."

On this night, with Melo only getting about 15 minutes of playing time, the Toronto Raptors would go on to beat the Knicks 81-76.

Knicks fans aren't necessarily known for their patience, but for a team struggling to get back into championship contention, seeing things from a long-term perspective might be a skill worth developing. Having one of the best scorers in the league on the floor in Carmelo Anthony and one of the greatest basketball minds in the front office in Phil Jackson might make slow-and-steady difficult, but with themed events like last night's, MSG and the Knicks organization are doing what they can to make the transition easier.

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