After LeBron James announced he was going to take his talents back to Cleveland the NBA world turned their attention to Carmelo Anthony. People thought there were 4 legitimate places he could end up: Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston and of course New York. As we all know, Anthony ended up going back to the Big Apple to play for new coach Derek Fisher in the new 'Phil Jackson' era. Now the NBA season has started, the Knicks and Lakers are struggling, the Bulls ended up getting Pau Gasol and Houston is off to one of the best starts this year. Anthony is about to release a documentary about his decision, called "Carmelo Anthony: Made in NY". It is set to air next week on MSG network. Marc Berman of the New York Post got to watch a little before it is released and shared some of what Melo said.
Even though it seemed like a 4 team contest , it was really only between Chicago and New York in his mind, what most people thought. It makes sense as he could flourish in Chicago and it would've given him the best chance to win a title. As a Bulls fan I was very disappointed when he chose not to come to the windy city. I thought having Melo, Noah and Rose would be the best 'Big 3' in the league, even better than Cleveland's trio. I understand why Melo chose New York though. He loves it there. He built up his reputation there and he would have to start all over if he went to Chicago. Melo did acknowledge that Chicago was very intriguing from day 1. There was even times when he thought he would be wearing black and red during the 2014-2015 season. It's hard not to have that thought at least once as Chicago has such a winning tradition and a great coach like Tom Thibodeau. Another thing that I think may have driven him away from Chicago was MJ's legacy. No matter how many titles he won, or how good he played he knew he could never be as good as MJ. Also, Rose would most likely always be the fan favorite while he could be everyone's favorite in New York. New York has had many good players over the years, such as Patrick Ewing, but none compare to Michael Jordan. The recruiting that the Bulls did to try and get Melo was very impressive. They showed him in a Bulls jersey on their big video board leading up to the stadium and had former and current players, like Joakim Noah and Scottie Pippen try and persuade him. Melo even said Rose came and talked to him, something Rose doesn't do very often. The biggest factor was money though and everyone knows that. Yes, you will get a lot of endorsements in Chicago but New York will give you even more. Plus, he now makes around $50 million more than if he went to Chicago. A lot of people say that when you make as much as athletes do the extra money doesn't matter, but it does. He would still be passing up around $50 million which is a lot of money as everyone knows. Los Angeles was never a real option as he saw another rebuilding project and didn't want to move across country to go to another rebuilding team, even if it meant playing with Kobe. If he went to LA that team would not be 3-12 right now, but they still would not be a title contender. Back when Melo made his decision I was an angry Bulls fan, as most were. I thought it was pathetic that he took money over a chance to win. However, now that time has passed I see why he did it more and can respect it. He started a legacy in New York, even though he started out in Denver, and wanted to finish it there. Plus, he could make a lot more staying in New York and it would be a better situation for his family. It was a tough pill to swallow for Bulls fans, and Melo may never win a title in New York but I understand why he stayed. Chicago may not be happy but I think this documentary will help people see through Anthony's eyes and give them a better understanding of his thought process.
Even though it seemed like a 4 team contest , it was really only between Chicago and New York in his mind, what most people thought. It makes sense as he could flourish in Chicago and it would've given him the best chance to win a title. As a Bulls fan I was very disappointed when he chose not to come to the windy city. I thought having Melo, Noah and Rose would be the best 'Big 3' in the league, even better than Cleveland's trio. I understand why Melo chose New York though. He loves it there. He built up his reputation there and he would have to start all over if he went to Chicago. Melo did acknowledge that Chicago was very intriguing from day 1. There was even times when he thought he would be wearing black and red during the 2014-2015 season. It's hard not to have that thought at least once as Chicago has such a winning tradition and a great coach like Tom Thibodeau. Another thing that I think may have driven him away from Chicago was MJ's legacy. No matter how many titles he won, or how good he played he knew he could never be as good as MJ. Also, Rose would most likely always be the fan favorite while he could be everyone's favorite in New York. New York has had many good players over the years, such as Patrick Ewing, but none compare to Michael Jordan. The recruiting that the Bulls did to try and get Melo was very impressive. They showed him in a Bulls jersey on their big video board leading up to the stadium and had former and current players, like Joakim Noah and Scottie Pippen try and persuade him. Melo even said Rose came and talked to him, something Rose doesn't do very often. The biggest factor was money though and everyone knows that. Yes, you will get a lot of endorsements in Chicago but New York will give you even more. Plus, he now makes around $50 million more than if he went to Chicago. A lot of people say that when you make as much as athletes do the extra money doesn't matter, but it does. He would still be passing up around $50 million which is a lot of money as everyone knows. Los Angeles was never a real option as he saw another rebuilding project and didn't want to move across country to go to another rebuilding team, even if it meant playing with Kobe. If he went to LA that team would not be 3-12 right now, but they still would not be a title contender. Back when Melo made his decision I was an angry Bulls fan, as most were. I thought it was pathetic that he took money over a chance to win. However, now that time has passed I see why he did it more and can respect it. He started a legacy in New York, even though he started out in Denver, and wanted to finish it there. Plus, he could make a lot more staying in New York and it would be a better situation for his family. It was a tough pill to swallow for Bulls fans, and Melo may never win a title in New York but I understand why he stayed. Chicago may not be happy but I think this documentary will help people see through Anthony's eyes and give them a better understanding of his thought process.
http://www.northjersey.com/polopoly_fs/1.744810.1395117460!/fileImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_650/031814carmelo.jpg