“He can score on anybody. He can use both hands.” That wasn’t just some casual praise—that was Kevin Durant, speaking about Michael Beasley, and he meant every word. Beasley’s name doesn’t always get brought up when we talk about the league’s most gifted scorers, but in pure one-on-one terms? There are not many better than him. The NBA doesn’t offer too many chances for iso ball anymore, but guys like Kobe, Kyrie, and AI turned those rare moments into magic—and Beasley? He fits right into that lineage, just without the spotlight.
Lately, though, he’s been making noise again—issuing open one-on-one challenges. And now, he’s got his eyes on a former Knicks star. During an episode, 7 PM in Brooklyn, Carmelo Anthony made it clear—he heard Michael Beasley’s challenge and had something to say. “Let me clear this up, I’m not losing a one-on-one game, bro, I’m not. I’ve never lost a one-on-one game,” Melo said confidently. But he didn’t stop there. “I’m not saying I’m going out there playing, but I’m saying I did this. I got ridiculed for doing this s— at the highest level, for being a one-on-one——. So I’m not going out there playing one-on-one...” So while Melo had no doubt he’d win, he made it just as clear—he’s not actually stepping on the court.
The former Lakers star has officially fired back—and he didn’t hold back a single word. Speaking during the BIG3, Beasley finally addressed Carmelo’s response and called him out directly. “Melo said whatever, he’ll never lose a one-on-one,” Beasley started, “but n—- he copped the f— out and said ‘yeah I wanna, I wanna, I wanna…’ If you’ll really wanna jump on my f—— line with that s—, we can really do it, we can really do it. Don’t no —- don’t cop out. Throw the f—— money up. Y’all n—- know where I am, y’all all vacation here. I see where the f— y’all n—- at. Throw the money up. Don’t get me in—throw the money up, n—-.” Yeah… safe to say, Beasley’s not just talking. He wants smoke—and his money.
But the back-and-forth didn’t just start there. It actually began when Beasley jumped on a N3on livestream and the conversation took a sharp turn. Streamer Adin Ross casually mentioned Melo as one of his all-time favorites—and Beasley didn’t hesitate. “I’ll bust his a–,” he said straight up. When Adin pressed him—for real?—Beasley didn’t flinch: “I will.” But when KD’s name came up, Beasley gave a different kind of respect: “We’ve been playing since we were little, KD might win.” That bold Melo callout, though? It spread fast. And sure enough, it didn’t take long for Carmelo Anthony to respond.
Let’s be real—Carmelo Anthony was built for one-on-one battles. He averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and a steal per game over his career, and that 2013 scoring title? Just more proof of how dangerous he was in isolation. Beasley, meanwhile, came in with big hype but never quite hit superstar status, averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds. Still, in a one-on-one setting? He’s got the skill—and the confidence—to make it interesting.
And he is all fired up now—especially after pocketing $100K in his 1-on-1 showdown with Lance Stephenson. And he’s not done. He’s already thrown out a million-dollar challenge to Swaggy P.
Michael Beasley turns trash talk into million-dollar matchups
When Michael Beasley and Lance Stephenson announced their $100K one-on-one showdown back in March, fans knew it would be a show—and they got exactly that. Beasley walked away with the win, 31-21, in a game that aired on TNC 02’s pay-per-view. But now, Lance wants another shot. A month later, the former Pacers star admitted the moment got to him. “I want a rematch because I got too hype. I lost focus. Got somebody in his crowd pushed me. And no, I said something crazy. I can’t say it on TV. It just, I lost my focus, and I feel like I could beat him.” Whatever happened courtside clearly rattled him, but as of now, Beasley hasn’t responded to the rematch.
Instead, Beas turned up the heat somewhere else—right on Nick Young. What started as a light back-and-forth turned serious fast. On camera, Beasley looked at him and asked, “Are you in shape? You talk a lot, are you in shape?” Nick, cool as ever, answered, “I can get in shape.” That was all Beasley needed. “Lace it up,” he snapped. And then came the bombshell: “A million dollars. Challenged. Imma have you shaking a–. Line it up, Nick Young. A million dollars, unretire.” Standing behind Swaggy P like he was ready to fight that second, Beasley made sure it wasn’t just talk.
And Nick? He didn’t back down. “I’ll get out there,” he said, nodding with a grin. The man hasn’t played an NBA game since 2018, but he’s been keeping busy—he coached the Enemies to the 2023 BIG3 title and returned in 2024 for a title defense. Now, as head coach of the newly announced L.A. Riot, he’s still got that signature swagger. When asked about the doubters, he didn’t flinch: “I let my rings speak for itself, you know,” he said. “I won in the NBA, I won in the BIG3, you know, I’m just a winner in life.” And if anyone forgot what Nick could do? A clip surfaced right after, with him saying, “You know at 27, who I was killin’? I was cooking LeBron. Don’t disrespect me.”
Beasley? He’s not just talking anymore—he’s challenging everyone with serious money on the line. From taking down Lance for $100K to throwing a million-dollar offer at Swaggy P, the man’s on a mission. As he put it himself when challenging Melo, “Throw the money up.”
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