WASHINGTON — Carmelo Anthony had heard about how LeBron James finally had enough and unleashed on Charles Barkley.
While Anthony didn’t want to get involved, the New York Knicks star fully understood why his good friend had reached his boiling point after taking the high road whenever Barkley was critical of James on TV.
“At the end of the day, I think he’s human,” Anthony said at the morning shootaround before the weary Knicks were drilled by the red-hot Washington Wizards 117-101 on Tuesday night. “Like, we all are human. Even though we are considered these kind of super heroes, super athletes, and nothing is supposed to affect us and we just go through life just taking it on the chin, it affects us in certain ways.
“I think in his situation, maybe he just got tired of … hearing it from that particular person.”
Anthony was talking about LeBron. But he easily could have been talking about himself. Could you blame Anthony if he has grown weary of trying to figure out what Knicks president Phil Jackson wants to do with him?
As the calendar turns to February, Anthony’s human side is going to be tested for the next three-plus weeks. The NBA trading deadline is on Feb. 23, which means Anthony has to face more tidal waves of trade rumors and constant speculation over his future.
Sure, Anthony is armed with a no-trade clause that gives him the rare ability to control his own fate. But Anthony’s human side could dictate his future since he says his family will factor heavily in his decision whether he remains with the Knicks.
“That’s more about what I care about, my family,” Anthony said. “My son being comfortable in New York at an age now where he’s really getting an opportunity to understand being in New York and having a home there and having friends there. My wife working there and having their opportunities there.
“I think about that more so than my decision for my career. At the end of the day, it will come down to my decision. But I think more Betticket about my decision and what they’re going to have to go through if anything would happen.”
But what happens if the Zen President finds a title contender that comes complete with one of Anthony’s banana boat buddies such as James or Chris Paul? What would Anthony do then?
“That’s a difficult question because I have some close friends on a lot of different teams,” Anthony said. “… Those considerations and thoughts will always be. That’s something we all think about as athletes, try to play with one another. We talk about it from high school and college. These are conversations that we’ve had years before any of this ever came up.”
The talk that dominates the trade rumors is Anthony’s future. For the past few weeks, Anthony has heard his name linked to the Clippers, Cavaliers and Celtics. With the Knicks’ season plummeting, Anthony’s future is the most interesting thing left about the team.
Anthony is keeping his options open with staying in New York as his top choice.
“I hear the new report every day, every day is a new team,” Anthony said. “Every day is Melo said this, Melo said that. Melo hasn’t said anything yet. That’s what I will say, Melo hasn’t said anything.”
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Anthony says he has not given the Knicks a list of teams he would be open to joining. But he admits that if Jackson decides to rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis — a course that could become more likely with the Knicks losing for the 16th time in 21 games on Tuesday — then he might have to consider moving.
“I don’t know,” Anthony said when asked what it would take for him to waive his no-trade clause. “It’s something I would have to think about. I think it’s more so what direction the organization wants to go. I’ve said this before: If they feel like they want to go in a different direction, rebuild and start fresh, then that’s something I will consider. I’ve always said that.”
On Tuesday afternoon, Anthony tweeted a picture of him walking through the National Museum of African American History and Culture with a message.
“Running away from things you find unpleasant causes suffering. But facing and challenging such situations will enrich your life.”
When asked about that tweet, Anthony balked and didn’t want to talk anymore. Of course, Anthony is such a nice guy that when he was asked by reporters later if the tweet was a cryptic message of some sort, the Knicks star smiled.
“No sublims,” Anthony said about anything being subliminal.
Perhaps one day in the next three weeks, Anthony will hit his boiling point. After all, he is only human.
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