When Carmelo Anthony was introduced to the media last week after signing a one-year contract he was smiling and confident that his newest role is a great fit for him and his new teammates.
Anthony felt it was time to join forces with his longtime friend and superstar LeBron James in order to compete for a championship. “Bron just came to me one time and said, ‘Yo, the time is now, this is the best time.’ “Most people would say we should have gotten together years ago early in our careers, but we were in two different lanes. We were on two different paths.”
The 37-year-old Anthony will team up with not only James but Dwight Howard, Marc Gasol, Russell Westbrook, Trevor Ariza and Anthony Davis. Anthony shot 41% from the three-point line and averaged 18.4 points per game last season with Portland. He is open to playing any role in order to help the team achieve the ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.
“I had to swallow that ego,” said Anthony. “I had to swallow that pride, but I also had to use that ego and that pride to keep me on edge and keep me motivated. I’ve accepted that. It played out well in Portland. Again, that was my first time doing it and experiencing that at that level. But I enjoyed it. It was fun, it was basketball, and I am still able to play ball and have fun and have the love for the game again.”
Anthony has never been to the NBA Finals, but he has been to the Western Conference Final against the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. The bond that he and Kobe shared was special. Anthony alluded to the fact that he always felt connected to the Lakers in some way over the years.
“Whether it was through my brother Kobe, regardless of what it is, I have always been connected to it in some way, somehow,” said Anthony. “It wasn’t really a pitch this time. I think it was an understanding. Like, OK, the time is now. The time is now for both parties to merge, for both parties to agree to come together.
With age comes wisdom and this is a group that potentially has five Hall of Famers on this team. However, the window is now to capture the Lakers 18th championship. The big question is can this elite group of Lakers stay healthy and get the job done?
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