After Carmelo Anthony forced his way to New York, Charles Barkley said he thinks he should be committed to staying in the Big Apple.
“When I heard that [Anthony said he would test free agency], I was very disappointed because he wanted to come here,” Barkley said Monday at a media event for “Inside The NBA” in Midtown. He appeared alongside fellow TNT analysts Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal.
“Now, all of a sudden, he wants to leave, he wants to test free agency. That really [ticked] me off, to be honest with you. He owns the city. He should be trying to get guys to come here and not [be] like, ‘I’ll stay here for a couple years.
‘I forced my way here, number one. … I got here [and] now I want to leave.’ That’s just not cool at all, to be honest with you.”
It makes financial sense for Anthony to opt out of the final year of his deal even if he wants to stay in New York because if he signs an extension with the Knicks, he could agree only to a three-year deal, while if he opts out and re-signs with the Knicks, he can sign a five-year deal.
Still, Smith said Anthony should have clarified that was his plan, as opposed to leaving open the possibility he could choose to go to Los Angeles or somewhere else in free agency next summer.
“What he should say is, ‘[the Knicks are] going to give me the max, [and] I’m going to be in New York,’ ” Smith said. “The Knicks cannot not give him the max.”
Not to be left out, O’Neal had his own criticism for Anthony. But rather than focus on his announced intent to opt out of his deal, the future Hall of Fame center instead said Anthony shouldn’t settle for being considered somewhere behind LeBron James in the NBA’s pecking order.
“I need to see from Carmelo … to me, [he] needs to stop being satisfied with being mentioned after LeBron,” O’Neal said.
At one point, according to TNT’s Rachel Nichols, O’Neal was interrupted in comparing Anthony with James, as Barkley, who apparently sees no similarities, interjected, “Well, they’re both black.”
In addition to his criticisms of Anthony, Barkley was also down on the Knicks as a whole, seeing the potential for things to go south quickly if they get off to a slow start.
All three men, on the other hand, were much more complimentary of the Nets’ offseason, with all giving the Nets a chance to contend for an Eastern Conference title.
“I think if Brooklyn stays healthy, Brooklyn can give [the Heat] a run for their money,” O’Neal said. “I like their starting five. It’s a very, very impressive starting five. … They got a great team.
“I really think if Brooklyn can come together, and come together quickly, they can take Miami.”
Both Smith and Barkley agreed, saying the Nets have the one thing — quality size — that gives Miami fits.
“The one thing that Miami has trouble with is size and mobility, and the Nets have big guys who are mobile with size,” Smith said.
“It all depends on their health and [coach] Jason Kidd,” Barkley said. “They’ve got to make it mesh, but Brooklyn is going for it.”