Carmelo Anthony on LeBron, Curry, triangle, leaving Syracuse

Here are some tidbits from Carmelo Anthony’s interview ….

On LeBron

DP: What did you think the first time you saw LeBron James?
CA: First time I saw Lebron was in New Jersey right before we were about to play them in high school. We walked inside the hotel together and that was the first time we actually met.

DP: Can you be friends right away or is that competition?
CA: It was more of a respect factor, knowing what he was doing at his school, knowing where I was at in high school. I was about to go to college, he was one year below me. It became a mutual respect at first and then it lead to a competition.

DP: I know you win a National title at Syracuse but if you could of come out of high school right to the pros. Would you have done that?
CA: No

DP: You weren’t ready?
CA: I don’t think I was ready. I had the opportunity to come. But I just always wanted to go to college.

DP: But when you won the title, you had accomplished enough?
CA: I was having so much fun though at school. Like I was just having so much fun. It was like so much excitement being up there at Syracuse. At that time Syracuse was maybe the No. 1 party school in America [laughs].

DP: You didn’t get cheated up there?
CA: [Laughs] No I didn’t get cheated up there So I was actually enjoying myself up there at Syracuse I didn’t want to leave. And then [coach Jim] Boheim brought me into his office and kind of kicked me out.

DP: He said you gotta go, it’s time?
CA: Yea he said your services are no longer needed.

On the 2003 ESPYs

DP: Do you remember what you said at the ESPY’s that year after you won the national title?
CA: I want to thank myself [laughs]. You know you get up those situations and you want to thank everybody else. Sometimes you forget about all the people you want to thank. But people never thank themselves for actually putting in the work and going through all of that. So sometimes you gotta pat yourself on the back.

DP: I was there…. Yea because maybe nobody else is going.to,
CA: Exactly.

On if he could play like Lebron

DP: Could you play like LeBron?
CA: No. Totally two different type of games.

DP: Like you’re not wired that way or you don’t have the same set of talents?
CA: I mean I think it’s more of style of play than anything. I think for me my game is kind of attack mode at all moments. It’s killed or be killed. Attack or be attacked. In Lebron’s situation he has so many different facets of the game. It’s his physical strength. His passing is more intriguing to me than his scoring is. You know so for him it’s more of a pass first thing because that’s what he grew up on and that’s the type of player he was. And then scoring just came… it come’s natural to him. For me it was more of the opposite I was always taught to apply pressure, put the ball in the hole. That’s what I was taught from Day 1.

On the Triangle:

DP: If I gave you an hour to teach the triangle, could you teach it?
CA: I could teach the basic concept of the actual triangle?

DP: Is it overrated?
CA: I don’t think it’s over rated. It’s just like….

DP: In today’s game though given what Golden State is doing.
CA: See they, Golden State. It’s hard to compare anything to what Golden State is doing.

DP: I love how people say it’s a system … yet that system includes Steph Curry.
CA: It’s hard to try to compare to what they’re doing out there. They changed the style of play in basketball. And everybody is trying to implement what they’re trying to do.

On Starting a team with Lebron

DP: If I said you can start your team with anyone in the NBA right now
CA: I don’t know man I love Steph Curry. I love his game, I love everything about him. But it’s just hard to kind of narrow things down. I won’t be put in that position where I have to narrow 4-5 guys down. I can’t do that.
DP: I’ll give you 2. You wouldn’t take…. Ok. See to me it would be, I’d start my team… I’d have no problem with Steph Curry.
CA: I have no problem with Steph Curry.

DP I’m trying to think who would be that guy you’d put there right.
CA: At that position?

DP: No. Right now starting your team. Cause Lebron at his age. Anthony Davis is great.
CA: I’d still put Lebron there.

DP: Steph Curry created headlines when he said he was a better scorer than LeBron.
CA: Well, I mean as an athlete, as a competitor you’re not going to say no.
DP: Are you a better scorer than Lebron?
CA: I believe so.
DP: Are you a better scorer than Steph Curry?
CA: I believe so.

Comments

comments

POLL QUESTION

Comments

comments