Carmelo Anthony and team-mates discuss eventful summer
At one point, everyone figured he was going to the New Jersey Nets. Then a potential deal with the New York Knicks fizzled. And in the end, Carmelo Anthony stayed right where he is.
Tomorrow night, the 26-year-old small forward will begin his eighth season in the NBA as a Denver Nugget but it is anyone’s guess where he will finish it.
“From day one, despite everything that was being said, I always believed I was going to be there for the first game,” said Anthony, who never publicly demanded a trade from the Nuggets
but has yet to sign a $65 million contract extension with the team.
Despite what Anthony says, one team-mate wasn't so sure whether they would have their star player around for their regular season opener tomorrow night against the Utah Jazz.
“I definitely had doubts,” said point guard Chauncey Billups. “But the further along it went, the further I took myself out of it. I’m not going to stress myself, worrying about what’s
going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Nobody knows what’s going to happen. He’s here right now and we look to rock and roll early in the season.”
The Nuggets have until the February trade deadline to deal Anthony, who becomes a free-agent at the end of this year. If he’s still around after the deadline, they would be forced to enter
into a bidding war for the high-scoring forward. And after seeing LeBron James and Chris Bosh leave their respective teams this past summer, this option is less than ideal.
But Denver coach George Karl, who will return to the bench after beating cancer for a second time, thinks winning some games will put Anthony in a better frame of mind.
“I think winning some games will help that and that’s where we’re at,” said Karl. “It’s time to prove to the world that we’re OK and we’re going to be a good team.”
“He’s been extremely professional,” Karl said of Anthony. “I think because of our injuries we need our stud to be special and I think he knows that.”
As for their opener, Anthony is looking forward to playing the Jazz, the team that eliminated them from last year’s play-offs.
“I think the NBA was reading my mind. They granted my wish,” said Anthony. “I wanted Utah the first game. I know there’s going to be a lot of excitement. They got us out in the playoffs
last year. We kept that in mind.”
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