NY Knicks & Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Says He's Most Underrated Superstar in NBA
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony believes that he is the most underrated superstar in the NBA, but the 30-year-old reiterated that he is not bothered by that notion at all.
In an interview with Chris Broussard of ESPN, Anthony said that he is usually getting overlooked when it comes to the discussion about the top players in the league.
Anthony admitted that his failure to win an NBA title in his first 11 seasons in the league has something to do with it, but he insisted that he is not worried about it because he knows what he is capable of doing.
"I know how consistent I've been over my career," Anthony said. "To do it day in and day out and night in and night out on a very consistent basis year in year out, I know what I can do and I know the work I've put in. So as far as caring about if I'm underrated as a superstar, and getting the respect I deserve, I don't worry about that."
Anthony averaged 25.3 points and 6.5 rebounds in his first 11 seasons in the league, but the former Syracuse standout has yet to win a title or even get closer to winning his first.
Anthony has already played in the playoffs in 10 seasons, but has only reached the conference finals once in his career--in 2009 with the Denver Nuggets in a six-game loss to the eventual champion L.A. Lakers--which makes most analysts believe that he is not on the same level as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
"I know, personally, I'm there. It doesn't bother me," Anthony said when asked about the notion that he is not in the same class as James and Durant. "These [analysts] are all people that maybe never accomplish anything, that just sit back and write articles all day long about what they see. They're kind of living through us out there on the basketball court."
Anthony is also being criticized for his efforts on the defensive end of the floor, but that is expected to change as he will be forced to play tough defense next season.
First-year coach Derek Fisher reiterated that while the focus will be on their triangle offense, he insisted that he wants the Knicks to be known as a good defensive team.
"Starting out and through the season there will be a lot of talk about who we are offensively and what we're trying to do on the offensive end in terms of running the triangle. But defense is the anchor. That's the foundation to all good and great teams," Fisher said during their first practice on Tuesday.
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