Carmelo Anthony talked last night about someday winning a championship, sounding like he took a page from his good friend Amar’e Stoudemire’s book.
Sounds like it won’t be long before he is Stoudemire’s teammate.
Sure, the Nets showed Anthony something about their toughness last night at the Prudential Center, crushing the Nuggets 115-99. They had big pictures of their future Brooklyn arena strategically set up in the hallway leading to the visiting locker room.
Maybe the Nets are still trying to sell Anthony on their future even though their owner, Mikhail Prokhorov, has walked away from the deal.
“That was interesting,” Anthony said with a smile.
Anthony, who led all scorers with 37 points, had some interesting comments. Asked if this were a night of extra motivation, he quickly answered. “No, man, it was another game. For me personally I wanted to bounce back after that [bad] game in Philly.”
Doesn’t sound like a guy dying to come to New Jersey or Brooklyn? Anthony clearly is holding out hope he can be a Knick even though he tried his best to say otherwise, playing the game within the game.
He admitted a new collective bargaining agreement is in the back of his mind.
“I’m not [afraid] of playing this out,” he said. “If that’s what it is going to take, so be it. My decision will be my decision. If it’s playing this year out and then going back to the drawing [board] and sitting down with Denver and trying to figure it out or move on, I’m willing to do that.
“If I sit here and tell you that I’m willing to lose $15-to-$20 million, I’d be lying to you, but at the same time this has never been about money. In my career so far I think I’ve made enough money now I can just focus on trying to win a championship. That’s the only thing that’s on my plate and on my mind right now.”
The Nets, at least, finally got Anthony’s signature last night. As he left the visiting clubhouse before the game, he was asked to sign the hood of a Volvo for charity. He gladly did.
Anthony has been keeping a close watch on the Knicks and he will be a perfect fit for Donnie Walsh’s club — eventually. Stoudemire is getting beat up every night, but along the way Stoudemire is teaching the young Knicks about toughness.
Anthony said he never got a text Stoudemire supposedly sent him recently, assuring Anthony that he wants him to be a Knick.
“I read that — that he supposedly texted me or something like that,” Anthony said. “I didn’t get it.”
When Anthony is added to the Knicks’ mix, they will have another superstar to carry the load. The ‘MeloDrama has endured. In the end, though, all this is great for Anthony and good for the Knicks because Anthony is learning what it’s like to play through distractions.
That’s what it takes in New York.
Nuggets coach George Karl said that the experience adds a little juice to the NBA life.
“I like games that have a little interest to them,” he said. “There are always five or six games during the year that have a spice to them because of the situation. This definitely has some spice to it.”
The entire ‘MeloSaga is a bit like Groundhog Day, Karl said.
Anthony seemed at ease. “I think Prokhorov took a load off a lot of guys on the Nets and the Nuggets,” he said. “Everybody can just go out and play and see what’s the next step from here. He took a real strong stance by holding that press conference straight off the plane. He felt strongly it wasn’t going to happen.”
When asked what appeals to him about playing for the Knicks, he answered, “Is that a setup question?
“At the end of the day this is a business,” Anthony said.
Yes, it is. Groundhog Day will go on for a few more weeks.