NBA: Melo:”Now Melo is motivated again”

After several unhappy years in New York, Carmelo Anthony is now starting a new beginning at OKC Thunder.The ten-time All-Star has now talked to The Vertical about the change and his new team.

After months of rumours about a trade, Melo finally agreed to a trade to OKC, in which Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott were sent to New York for him.Melo said that he didn’t care that he switched to the Western Conference and thus to the conference, which had a much better cast.

“That’s what you have to want,”says Anthony.”You have to have that bite and we have it.The 33-year-old had already spent the first few years of his career in the West, where he reached the conference finals in 2009 with the nuggets, the most successful playoffs of his career.

If possible, this is to be outbid by his new team, in which he will meet the all-stars Paul George and Russell Westbrook:”It’s all coming together here.We already see the potential of this team in training,”said Anthony,”it took a load off my shoulders, the other two of them too.”

For him it is the ideal situation:”This is Melo, who has fun again.Now Melo is motivated again.Now Melo once again has players around who create rooms for him and for whom he creates rooms,”said Anthony,”that’s something I’ve always wanted.At the end of the day, it’s just basketball.You adapt to your own circumstances.”

Melo described the farewell from New York as “bittersweet”, because he didn’t really want to leave, but it was the right thing to do:”With me it takes a long time until I say enough is enough.I have to be almost a little selfish and say what is important to me: winning,”says Anthony,”You have given me this opportunity and also moved me a little in this direction.And although I didn’t really want to leave, I think the timing was almost perfect now.”