Any New York Knicks fans that are biting their nails in anticipation of the summer of 2014 can exhale for now after star forward Carmelo Anthony said Thursday an interview that he "wants to retire in New York."
In an interview with TNT prior to the Knicks 82-81 loss in Chicago at the hands of the Bulls, Anthony said he was hoping to retire in New York while he's also looking to recruit more players to come to the Big Apple.
"They pulled all the strings to get me here, and I wanted to be here, you know," Anthony told TNT. "And I want to retire in New York, let's be quite frank. I think a lot of people jumped the gun when I said I wanted to be a free agent. And yeah, I want people to come to play in New York. I want them to want to play in New York. I want New York to be that place where guys want to come play in New York."
Anthony, who had 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and six steals in the heartbreaking loss, said in October that he was looking forward to being a free agent in the summer, but said Thursday that a lot of people took it the wrong way when he made those comments. Anthony can opt out of his contract to become a free agent in the summer of 2014. When he was asked after the game about his comments to TNT about wanting to stay in a Knicks uniform, he didn't want to discuss it.
"I don't want to talk [about that]," Anthony said via ESPN. "I said what I said, I believe that. That's my goal, that's what I want to do. I don't want to talk about that. David [Aldridge] asked me a question; I answered. No disrespect to you, I just don't want to talk about that."
Anthony is in the first of the final two years on his contract, which has a clause for him to opt out before the last year is picked up. His current contract is worth $23.3 million. ESPN reports that Anthony can opt out and earn $129,135,806 if he stays with New York and can sign for a four-year deal worth up to $95,897,372 if he signs with another team.
Anthony expressed his desire to become a free agent in mid-October.
"I want to be a free agent," Anthony told the New York Observer. "I think everybody in the NBA dreams to be a free agent at least one time in their career. It's like you have an evaluation period, you know. It's like if I'm in the gym and I have all the coaches, all the owners, all the GMs come into the gym and just evaluate everything I do. So yes, I want that experience."
It would seem now, that Anthony wants to ink a new deal to stay in New York and try and fulfill his dream of winning an NBA title in the city that never sleeps.
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