Teams lined up at the door for a chance to sign New York Knicks’ forward Carmelo Anthony when he became a free agent this offseason.
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Anthony visited the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers before ultimately deciding to remain in New York. The reason? Anthony has unfinished business there.
“For me to just get up and leave like that, now that I look back at it … I wouldn’t have felt right within myself,” Anthony said via Brett Pollakoff of Pro Basketball Talk. “From a basketball standpoint it probably would have been maybe the greatest thing to do, but for me personally, I wouldn’t have felt right with myself knowing that I wanted to come here, I kind of forced my way here to New York, and I have some unfinished business to take care of. So I wouldn’t have felt right from a personal standpoint, just getting up and leaving like that.”
Although the Knicks look like nothing more than a fringe playoff team at the moment, with Phil Jackson in command, Anthony likely believes they can draw free agents in the future.
Anthony put up 27.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game and shot 45.2% from the field, 40.2% from beyond the arc and 84.8% from the free throw line last season. In his 11-year career, Anthony has gone for 25.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 45.5% from the floor, 34.5% from beyond the arc and 81.1% from the charity stripe.
Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league as we get you ready for the start of the 2014-2015 season.
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