Melo: 2 reasons why a Knicks reunion would have failed
At age 36, Carmelo Anthony didn’t see a fit in New York. Not this season.
Anthony, who trained in New York during the brief offseason, said it wound up as an easy decision to go back to Portland and decline a Knicks reunion when he saw the direction the franchise was headed — still rebuilding.
The Post and others reported Knicks president Leon Rose had interest in bringing back his former client — along with Anthony’s buddy, point guard Chris Paul. Neither occurred and the Knicks wound up not bringing in a big name.
“At this point, it wasn’t really a lot [of consideration],’’ Anthony said on a Zoom call Friday. “The Knicks were making moves and were trying to figure out the direction they wanted to go in. They weren’t done making moves. I’m sure they have a plan. I don’t think me coming in and trying to mess their plan up was good for either party.
“They are rebuilding and figuring out what’s in their near future. It was me personally wanting to be part of a situation I was already comfortable with. I just finished playing with these guys two, three months ago. I felt it was the right fit at this point of time where I’m at right now this particular year.’’
Anthony rejuvenated his career in Portland and led it to the bubble playoffs. The Blazers look to be loaded again for a bigger run.
“It was something I always felt I would be back and coming back,’’ Anthony said. “It’s something we discussed after the bubble. It was always a part of the plan. The decision wasn’t tough. The only thing tough was figuring out the direction the organization was going and how they saw me being a part of the organization. If it was a just a one-time thing last season or all parties felt the need we needed to do [again]. We came to that agreement.”
The Knicks will be on a lot of planes early in this pandemic season, with five of their first seven contests on the road, including their season opener in Indiana Dec. 23.
The Garden opener will be Dec. 26 versus the Sixers when Austin Rivers faces his father Doc Rivers. Cole Anthony makes his Garden debut on MLK Day on Jan. 18 when Orlando visits.
The Knicks’ only national TV appearance is Jan. 13 when they host the Nets.
Mitchell Robinson, who has not shot a 3-pointer in his career, has posted many a video of his launches from beyond the arc during the pandemic.
“It’s my Year 3 so I’m trying to add more stuff to my game, help our team win, be more of a threat on the offensive side,’’ Robinson said. “Me coming out shooting 3s isn’t the only thing I want to do, but it helps us out.’’