Knicks' Carmelo Anthony On WFAN: I'm Healthy, Good And 'Ready To Rock'
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Will there be NBA basketball this season?
Who knows. But if the league does tip off in 2011-12, a rehabbed-and-ready Carmelo Anthony will be there for the Knicks.
"I'm healthy, I'm good," Anthony told WFAN's Boomer & Carton on Wednesday. "I'm ready to rock."
Anthony revealed in late September that he had offseason arthroscopic surgery on his left knee and a procedure on his right elbow. The New York Post reported in June that Anthony was "secretly rehabbing" from elbow bursitis.
"You know, some things I like to keep under the radar," he explained. "I just wanted to go in there and get it done and not have a big movie surrounding that."
Listen: Carmelo Anthony with Boomer & Carton
The superstar forward admitted he "wasn't feeling right throughout the whole season." He kept the news of his surgeries from the media and fans -- but not from the team.
"Yeah the Knicks knew," said Anthony. "I felt like (they were) the only people that needed to know at that point in time."
As for the lockout, Anthony doesn't know how much longer it will go on or how many more games will be canceled. He even tweeted an apology for the labor impasse to fans earlier this week.
(Note: NBPA head Billy Hunter will join WFAN's Mike Francesa in studio today at 4 p.m. Listen live here.)
Until the lockout is resolved, all he can do is continue to take part in popular exhibition games with other stars like Chris Paul, Amar'e Stoudemire and LeBron James.
"As a unit, as players, we've got to stick together," Anthony said. "It is what it is. ... In the meantime, we're going to continue to do things to continue the growth of basketball."
Anthony and company played in their biggest draw yet on Saturday: The South Florida All-Star Classic. The game drew a sold-out crowd of 4,000 to Florida International University, where former Knicks lightning rod Isiah Thomas coaches.
"At the end of the day, you know, he's a legend," said Carmelo. "As a student of the game, like, that's Isiah Thomas. That's the guy that Chris Paul looks up to. That's Chris Paul's favorite player. ... Just like I look up to Bernard King. If I see Bernard King walk in this room right now, I don't know what I would do."
Sure, Carmelo said, the Knicks got off to a sluggish start after he joined the team in February. But once they began to gel, the Knicks started rolling.
So if there's a season -- and that's a big if -- watch out for the blue and orange in Anthony's first full year at MSG.
"For me to actually be here -- just to be a part of that excitement and the energy that's here in New York, and energy that was at Madison Square Garden when I was there -- you can't ask for (anything) better than that."
Your thoughts on Carmelo's future in New York? Let Boomer & Carton know in the comments below...
