Carmelo Anthony turned down a deal with the Chicago Bulls and instead signed a five-year, $124 million contract with the New York Knicks. To some it proved that Anthony was totally out for the money even though he cited other reasons for returning to New York. Whether he is indeed solely out for money or not, he has made more in NBA salary than anyone else selected in the famed 2003 draft class and will have earned more than $257 million by the time his contract with the Knicks expires in 2019. Though he’s made more than anyone in that heralded draft class that includes LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, they have something he does not, championship rings. Despite that, Anthony feels like he’s a winner in his own right.
The Washington Post did a piece on Carmelo Anthony (which you should read in it’s entirety btw), detailing his quest for off-the-court wealth and investments, his hard life growing up, and the things he teaches his young son, Kiyan.
Within the feature Anthony addresses the fact that he still hasn’t won the prize of every NBA players eye, a championship ring.
“I didn’t think it would be like this,” he said. “I’m like, why? Time goes by so fast, and one thing you realize: You can’t control winning. It’s out of your control. You can control what you do. You can control your work ethic and your mind-set. When it comes down to winning, everything has to be synchronized, from ownership all the way down to the staff. Everything has to be in sync.”
Anthony has averaged at least 20 points a game in every season, but he understands the team failings will inevitably fall on him. “At the end of the day, we all know what the goal is, and that’s to win a championship,” Anthony said, “I know that I’m a winner. Even though you might lose some games here or there, I know I’m a winner. I’ve won already. I’ve won off the court and on the court. I’m living the American dream. That’s winning to me. Nobody can say anything about being a loser.”
It’s great that Anthony is thankful for his success and living a dream that so many wish for but it almost seems as if he’s resigned to never winning a ring (I hope I’m wrong). He certainly hasn’t stopped giving his all on the court despite having far from the right pieces around him. He has however grown a thick skin in the treacherous New York media and seems focused on providing a life and legacy for his son even when his basketball days are long over.
