Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim is one of Carmelo Anthony’s biggest fans. That probably has a little something to do with the fact that the two won an NCAA championship together in 2003. On Wednesday, Boeheim appeared on “Jim Rome on Showtime” and offered some advice for Carmelo on his impending free agency.
Basically, Boeheim told his former player not to be afraid to leave the New York Knicks.
“What I’d tell him is what I would tell any NBA great player,” Boeheim said, via Eye on Basketball. “If you’re a great player in the NBA, for you to be recognized as a great player you have to win a championship. It’s as simple as that. And I think you have to put yourself in the best position possible to win a championship. LeBron James did it. … And it’s changed the image of LeBron forever.
“I think you have to be in a place that you have a chance to win a championship. I think Carmelo loves New York, but I would tell him, ‘Let’s try to get some place where you can win this thing.'”
Anthony will likely opt out of his current deal with the Knicks at the end of the season, though he could still sign another contract with New York. He said he does not intend to leave the Knicks back in September, but the team is currently falling out of playoff contention and the future of head coach Mike Woodson is very much uncertain.
I’m with Boeheim. If the Knicks can’t find a way (or the cap space) to assemble a championship around Carmelo, he needs a change of scenery. It may be best for everyone at this point.
