Melo: Constant trade rumors 'testing me as a human being'
Phil Jackson's plot to make life uncomfortable for Carmelo Anthony is working.
Anthony toiled through yet another long night at Madison Square Garden on Saturday as his New York Knicks fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He faced boos from the home crowd, along with the usual nagging from reporters about trade rumors.
"I'm still keeping it (mellow), still keeping it cool, man. It definitely kind of tests you, can put you to the test," Anthony told ESPN's Ian Begley. "You have to dig deep within yourself to get through it on a day-to-day basis, figure out a way how to still go out there and play at a high level every night, play hard, lead this team.
"That's kind of where you have to dig deep at, despite of everything that's going on, that's surrounding - I don't even want to say us - me. It's testing me. It's testing my will. It's testing me as a human being. It also is making me stronger throughout this process."
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Having Cleveland in town provided yet another opportunity to grill Anthony about the constant trade rumors swirling above his head. Jackson is reportedly interested in swapping Anthony to the Cavs, targeting Kevin Love in return, but Cleveland isn't biting on said offer.
As it were, Anthony would need to waive his no-trade clause to facilitate any move. The 32-year-old has repeatedly declared his wishes to stay in New York, where his family feels most content.
That's about the only thing keeping Anthony sane these days as his time with the Knicks becomes increasingly labored.
"My son, family, friends. Those are things, people that keep me positive, keep me happy," he said. "And then when I get to the gym it's just all about basketball and being around kind of my teammates and seeing the vibe is still there between us, between everybody. Everybody is still positive about what we have going on and what we're trying to do. So that's the way I'm dealing with it."
Anthony posted 17 points and six rebounds in Saturday's loss.