Jamel Artis, a camp invite for the New York Knicks, spoke about how he hopes to make the team and how he looks up to Carmelo Anthony.
The New York Knicks have one roster spot remaining for the upcoming season. Three undrafted rookies are competing for that spot. Former Pittsburgh Panther Jamel Artis is one of the three.Artis spoke to Marc Berman of The New York Post about why he’s confident he can make the team. The 6-foot-7 swingman also brought up his fellow Baltimore native Carmelo Anthony. Apparently, the two have met and become close.
The 23-year-old says of making the team:
“I feel great about making the team,’’ Artis told The Post in a phone interview after working out at the Knicks practice facility Monday. “It’s just my competitiveness. I feel I bring a lot to the game and am better than a lot of people, but I want to keep being humble. I feel I’m better than some guys that got drafted.’’
It’s good for a guy to have that kind of confidence. In his senior season, Artis averaged 18.2 points per game on 47.5 percent shooting. He shot 39.2 percent from three-point range on nearly six attempts per game (5.9).
When talking about Melo, Artis said the two met during a pre-draft workout with Anthony’s famous trainer Chris Brickley.
“He knew who I was,’’ Artis said. “He showed me respect and a lot of love and support. I would love for Melo to stay in New York to watch him every day. He’s one of the guys I look up to. He told me to stay humble, keep the edge and never give up.’’
New York’s one remaining spot is a two-way contract. It’s a brand new deal that gives a player the option to split time between the G-League team and the NBA.