Carmelo Anthony Talks About His Future In The NBA
LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony were two of the biggest stars in the NBA during the 2000s and into the early 2010s.
Now, they both have their attention on their sons, who are close to beginning their collegiate and potentially professional journeys, as Bronny James and Bryce James, the two sons of LeBron, faced off against Kiyan Anthony, the son of Carmelo, in one of the nation’s top high school basketball showdowns on Monday night.
Carmelo was in attendance supporting his son, but he was also approached by ESPN and asked about what his future in the NBA looks like, especially since he did not sign a new contract in free agency this past summer.
“I want to be. You know, I love the game, but I realize that there are a lot of things not in my control,” Anthony said when asked about his aspirations in the NBA right now. “So I just sit back and let it play out and whatever it’s going to be it’s going to be and I accept that, I’m at peace with that. I get to watch my son play, you know, train him, be around him, come to his games, so these are the things for a long time that I’ve never had a chance to do, so now I can be that father and that man that I need to be.”
Anthony was one of many stars in the building for this matchup between his son and LeBron’s sons, as LeBron James, Scottie Pippen, Kenyon Martin and others were also in attendance on Monday night.
“I’m cool man. I would love to play,” Anthony went on to say. “I’m in the gym every single day. When the opportunity presents itself it presents itself, but it’s not something I’m pressing about.”
Now 38-years-old, Carmelo Anthony truly does not have anything left to prove. He is a ten-time All-Star, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, a six-time All-NBA talent and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team, but the one thing missing from his awards closet is a championship ring.
In 19 seasons, Anthony has averaged 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 44.7 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from three-point range. Showing a willingness to accept a lesser role and come off-the-bench in recent years, Carmelo could definitely still be a key contributor for a contending team.
Maybe Anthony will get another chance to play with a title contending team before he calls it quits for good, but right now, the future Hall-of-Famer seems to be at peace with where he is at in life, especially given the success of his son right now at the high school level.
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