Faith in Phil Jackson trumped everything else for Carmelo Anthony, including money.
“I want to win. I don’t care about the money,” Anthony told ESPN.com. “I believe Phil will do what he has to do to take care of that.”
And to prove it, Anthony is going to try to live the next five years in New York on a mere $122 million, as opposed to the $129 million he could have squeezed from the Knicks.
If there is another transit fare hike or bridge-and-tunnel toll increase, Anthony may regret his decision, but for now he said he believes in the future of the Knicks, especially in a more “balanced” Eastern Conference with LeBron James displaced from Miami.
Anthony, who recently re-upped with the Knicks for five years and that $122 million, told the website his conviction that Jackson will turn around the fortunes for New York’s storied franchise — not the money — was what brought him back for the long haul.
Anthony could have signed with the Bulls for considerably less — but with a better chance to win sooner. Still, in the long run, none of that mattered for Anthony, who admitted to agonizing over his decision.
“I don’t think we’re that far away,” said Anthony, the NBA’s second leading scorer last season at 27.4 points per game. “People use ‘rebuilding’ too loosely.”
So whatever it is the Knicks are doing has seen an overhaul in personnel and an influx of youth. The Knicks shipped center Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton to Dallas in exchange for Samuel Dalembert and Jose Calderon. The Knicks also landed guards Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington in the deal. They later signed free-agent center Jason Smith. Plus, they hope they have uncovered a second-round draft gem in Wichita State stud Cleanthony Early.
“I feel like we have a brand-new team,” said Anthony, who missed the playoffs for the first time in his career last season. “It’s a new beginning.”
But the big moves are expected down the road and Anthony sounded content to go along with Jackson’s blueprint, as hard as his decision was.
“It was overwhelming,” Anthony said. “It was stressful in the final days, one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
The Knicks also had a trump card — a fifth year that no one team could offer, although with early opt-outs that fifth year is not as significant. The Bulls, unless they pulled off a sign and trade, were limited to $75 million over four years. Despite the obvious disparity, Anthony insisted it wasn’t about money. Jackson on the white horse and new coach Derek Fisher tipped the scales.
“I was flip-flopping,” Anthony said of the Knicks and Bulls. “It was hard. It was Chicago, but then after I met with [the Lakers], it was L.A. But it came back to Chicago — and was pretty much always Chicago or New York. That’s a situation where I could have walked in now to an opportunity to compete for the next however many years.”
Anthony also was recruited by Dallas and Houston in his free-agent frenzy tour.
“It’s a matter of me believing in the organization, believing in Phil,” Anthony said. “I wanted to go somewhere where I can end my career.”
And he wanted to win a title, which Anthony thinks is not as far-fetched in New York because James is in Cleveland.
“It balances everything out,” Anthony said of James leaving the Heat, who made four straight runs to the NBA Finals, winning two and losing two. “There’s balance from one to eight right now. The East is balanced.”