Carmelo: Loyalty to Knicks may have 'come back to bite me in the ass'
At 31 years old, playing in his 13th season in the league for an organization a long ways from competing for a championship, the window for All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony to potentially hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy is slowly closing.
Yet Anthony's loyalty to the New York Knicks hasn't wavered, as he believes the potential is still there for the team to turn things around rather quickly.
"I got hope in myself. I do have to believe in the process," Anthony told Yahoo Sports' Marc Spears. "I don't want to say this was all part of the plan coming back (to New York). This is a big, big summer."
The Knicks have failed to qualify for the playoffs each of the past two seasons, and are currently 6 1/2 games back of the Detroit Pistons for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. With a no-trade clause in his contract, Anthony has the ability to remove himself from the equation if he sees fit, however, he doesn't foresee himself doing so anytime soon.
"I guess I have all the power. If I really wanted to get out of this situation I could have waived that no-trade clause," Anthony said. "But I've stuck with it and I'm still sticking with it. I don't know, maybe my loyalty has come back to bite me in the ass. As of right now, I am sticking to it."
With the salary cap skyrocketing, the hope within the team is that some worthwhile free agents will choose to sign on the dotted line and call The Big Apple their home, joining the duo of Anthony and rookie Kristaps Porzingis. Advancing to the postseason isn't good enough anymore for No. 7, though, with his mindset slowly turning towards championship or bust.
"I don't really want to say exactly. But I think we need something we can put together that is going to be there over the next couple of years," Anthony said. "Now it's time to start competing for a championship, not just competing for the playoffs. Those days for me are over with."
Should he one day find himself in a different uniform, Anthony doesn't want to look back on his tenure in New York with any regrets, especially if he doesn't achieve the success he had envisioned.
"All that stuff comes into consideration. I think about all that stuff," Anthony said. "This is a place that is feenin’ to win. Of course, win a championship, but be in position to win.”
Anthony re-upped with the Knicks in 2014 on a reported five-year, $120-million contract. He's averaging 21.8 points, a career-high eight rebounds, and 4.2 assists this season.