The New York Knicks appear nowhere near playoff contention, and Carmelo Anthony will turn 32 next month. If Anthony wants to win a championship before his career is over, he might have to do it elsewhere. Despite that, Carmelo insists he has had no thoughts of leaving The Big Apple.
After the Knicks lost to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday to fall to 32-49 on the season, Anthony was asked if he considered the possibility that it might have been his last home game at Madison Square Garden.
“No, no, I don’t think about that. Not right now,” Carmelo said, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I can’t think about that. My mindset is just figuring out how we’re going to better this situation, how we’re going to continue to grow as a team, grow as an organization and not get used to going home this early in April.”
The Knicks have now missed the playoffs in three straight seasons. Anthony said he appreciates the fans sticking with the team, but he said he can’t get used to the feeling of missing the postseason.
When Phil Jackson signed a massive contract that gave him control of New York’s basketball operations department, some felt the franchise had been rescued. That has hardly been the case, and Anthony is eager to see what Jackson has planned for the offseason.
“[There’s] plenty of uncertainty right now,” he said. “That’s what guys get paid the big bucks for, man. Everybody got to put their heads together and try to figure out what’s going on and what’s going to happen and how we can continue moving this ship forward and getting better.”
Anthony has appeared more frustrated than ever this season, going off on his teammates in the media and even taking on heckling fans. At this point, you have to wonder if he would be better off without the Knicks and the Knicks would be better off without him.
