Every day seemingly brings a new rumor about Carmelo Anthony’s future, with the different reports generally agreeing that future won’t come with the New York Knicks.
The 32-year-old star told reporters Saturday that all the recent media speculation has been “mentally draining.”
“You’ve got to deal with that, even though I try not to read it,” Anthony said. “And everywhere you go, even if you don’t hear about it, somebody is telling you about it, somebody is saying something. It can be mentally draining, mentally fatiguing.”
It’s given Anthony an appreciation for what legendary Knicks center Patrick Ewing faced during his 15-year career with the team.
“As a student of the game, you know what people go through in their own respective situations,” Anthony said. “Knowing the history of the game and knowing the history here and the players, (Ewing) was one of those guys who kind of can relate to what I’m going through.
“My father came in from traveling and he said, ‘Son, if you lay in this bed, you’ll be a quitter the rest of your life.’ He said, ‘Do you like football?’ And I said, ‘Of course I do.’ And he said, ‘If I were you and they moved me to be the water boy, I believe I’d drown them. I wish you would get up, re-think your decision and go on.’
“That’s tough love, but that was an important time for me because it showed me that the game is not necessarily about how it’s dealt to you, it’s how you respond to it.”
Jones, a man who already has done enough for the NFL to earn his spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, still refuses to quit. Now he hopes his sharing of a new facility will start another trend.
keep making “winning plays,” that crowd will have plenty to cheer about.