After a win in the 2016-17 season finale, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony speculated about his future with the team.
Both teams had every reason to lose while competing for a better spot in the lottery standings during Wednesday night’s season finale between the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers. Despite all that, it was a good game that went right down to the wire with the Knicks winning by a point while Carmelo Anthony watched from the bench during the fourth quarter in what might be his final game with New York.
With ESPN reporting Thursday that the Knicks have picked up the two-year option on Phil Jackson’s contract the focus for the offseason shifts squarely on Anthony. Why would he want to return to New York and play for the man who made his life miserable all season?
Melo had a lot to say to reporters after Wednesday’s finale. According to ESPN’s Ian Begley, when Anthony was asked if the team would look to trade him his response was a half-hearted, “They might.”
The 10-time All-Star reiterated the fact that he wants to win. In his six years with the team, he’s won just one playoff series.
“If everybody’s committed to [winning], I’m committed to that too,” Anthony said. “I want to win, and hopefully everybody else has that same type of mindset.”
Anthony was a typical class act when asked if he thought Wednesday was his last game with the team.
“To be honest with you, I don’t know. I’ll know more in the upcoming weeks or so,” Anthony said. “I’m pretty sure the organization has an idea, a thought of what they want to do, how they want to do it. But at this point, it’s all on me.”
If right, he’ll go down as one of the all-time greats in franchise history.
He set the franchise single-game scoring record and led them back to the postseason for the first time since 2003-04, and their first playoff series win since Jeff Van Gundy manned the sidelines.
Anthony averaged 36.0 minutes, 24.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists with the Knicks. Those are Hall of Fame numbers.
