MELO: NO FAST BREAK
Denies he’d consider bolting Knicks in trade
BOSTON — Carmelo Anthony admitted to being bothered by implications that he is not committed to the sunken Knicks, and he refuted any suggestion that he is prepared to waive his no-trade clause to move to a preferred team.
“Come on, man, after all the work I did to get here and get back here, if I was to get up and want to leave now, that would just make me weak, make me have a weak mind,” Anthony said before returning to the lineup Friday in the Knicks’ 10195 win over Boston. “I’ve never been a person to try to run from any adversity or anything like that. So I’m not going to pick today to do that.”
Anthony shook his head several times while addressing a published report that he’d consider accepting a trade — which his agent, Leon Rose, branded “utter nonsense” — if team president Phil Jackson seeks to move the seven-time All-Star and what remains of the five-year, $124 million deal he just signed in July. “I don’t really know what to say to that. I guess it’s just what happens when you hit the wall of adversity and everything is a snowball effect,” said Anthony, who missed the Knicks’ previous game in San Antonio Wednesday night with left knee soreness. “I guess it comes with the territory. Whether it’s fair or not, it comes with the territory.
“You know the cure to all of this is winning, and that’s what we have to do, win some basketball games. I’ve been here before, I’ve lost some games and had all types of things written about me, written about the team. It’s gonna happen.” Derek Fisher’s Knicks (5-20) ended a brutal 10-game losing streak, which was two off the franchise’s single-season record, but they are still tied with the Sixers for most losses in the NBA. They also have been embroiled in a week of turmoil highlighted by Jackson stating they have a “loser’s mentality” and a report of discord between Anthony and his teammates, including a near-fight recently with Tim Hardaway Jr. The first step in Jackson’s rebuilding plan was to get Anthony to come back to the Knicks via free agency over the summer. Anthony re-signed for $124 million — about $5 million below the maximum, but significantly more than other suitors Chicago, the Lakers, Houston and Dallas were able to offer. Anthony also would be due a 15% bonus on the remaining value of his contract if he is traded, making any deal that much more prohibitive.
“Yeah, yeah, for sure,” Anthony said when asked if he’s bothered by his commitment to the Knicks being questioned. “I guess when you’re losing games ever y t hing get s quest ioned. That’s the state where we’re at as a team. That’s the state we’re at as individuals, or should I say myself.
“But it comes with the territory. It’s gonna be for me to kind of defend myself, but at the end of the day, that’s not gonna prove nothing, that’s not gonna do
If I was to get up and want to leave now, that would just make me weak, make me have a weak mind. I’ve never been a person to try to run from any adversity or
anything like that.
CArMELO ANTHONY
anything.
“I mean, losing is frustrating. I don’t want to lose. We don’t want to lose.
“Coming into this season, this is not what I expected, what we expected, but we’re here now. There’s nothing we can do about the previous 20, 24 games. ... There’s no need to cry over what already happened. “We’ve just got to fix it.” Asked how he’s been dealing with the constant losing and mounting criticism, Anthony added: “We wouldn’t be sitting here talking about that if we were winning. So it comes with the territory. We have to deal with it — I have to deal with it. I accept it. That doesn’t make it right, but I accept it.”