Dear Melo,
It’s been a seven and a half year relationship, but it’s clear that the time has come for us to split ways and I just wanted to tell you…It’s not me, it’s you. I’m not upset that you’d want to start seeing other cities, and while it’s a little disappointing, I get it. I recognize that modern sports stars like to spread their wings and find out for themselves that the grass isn’t always greener in another field. Clearly, you are getting the wanderlust, and the idea of going home and playing for the Knicks is appealing to you. I get that, but it’s the way that you’re weaseling out of town that has led the city of Denver to need to desperately need to break up with you, I’m just doing it formally for the lot of us. You’ve been playing hard on the court, but actions speak louder than words, and all your actions off the court make us feel terrible about you.
You clearly don’t want to live in our fair city any longer, and what’s worse you’re undercutting the Nuggets at every turn. You aren’t going to be here next year, and you could not care any less about what happens to this franchise that you’ve been a part of and the city you’ve called home for the past seven years. I find it appaling how you’ve neutered your trade value by telling the world that the Knicks are the only team you are willing to entertain.
Openly longing to be a Knick when you're under contract with the Nuggets is shameful. This lame duck attitude is the reason that the Nuggets fan base hasn’t been showing you love all that much this season, and the reason you were booed last night by fans that once loved you. The same fans who looked the other way when you appeared in the “Stop Snitching” videos. We are the fans who had your back when you got suspended for starting a rumble with the very team you now want to join. And we are the very people who supported you and did our best to believe you when you proffered such flimsy stories as “the weed in your backpack belonged to a friend” or “Someone else hacked my twitter account and threatened a girl’s life with it.” It feels like we deserved more loyalty, but I guess we were deluding ourselves into thinking we matter.
I’m not saying there weren’t any good times. The run to the Western Conference Finals was great, and if your teammates had ever practiced a simple inbounds play, perhaps we could have even been able to beat the Lakers and advance to the Finals. This city was a basketball ghost town before you got here; we hadn’t made the playoffs in eight years before you arrived, and we haven’t missed the postseason since you got here. I get that, and I thank you for it. Although breaking up is hard to do, I take comfort in knowing we’ll always have the Mavericks series. Basketball in Denver has been more fun with you here, which makes this awkward final stretch with you even more difficult and painful because now it feels like the past seven years meant nothing to you, and clearly our relationship has gotten weird. I'm not even mad at you, I'm just saddened that it has to end this way.
So Melo, I’m just writing to tell you that we’re through. Seeing as how you have no idea who I am, and couldn’t care less if I were hit by a bus; I’m sure that you’ll be able to power through the pain of this break-up. Somehow you’ll find a way to get through this with your next zillion dollar contract, and soon Denver will be just another blip in your personal history. I just wanted you to know I’m disappointed with how this is ending, and I can’t pretend that I support you anymore. I hope you find happiness when you don the blue and orange in New York City next year, but I won’t be cheering for you. It’s too late for us. I have to move on from you. I’m done cheering for the Denver Nuggets until you’re gone. While I understand you’re just being a prima-donna basketball player; Many have come before you and many will follow in your footsteps, but I just can’t pretend that I want you to succeed anymore. It’s over between us, and like I said earlier, it’s not me, it’s you.
A sad Denver sports fan who has temporarily suspended his Nuggets fanhood,
-Craig
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