Melo admits, that Chicago deal was pretty sweet
This past summer, when all was nearly said and done, there were only two teams that appeared to be viable destinations for NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony. His hometown New York Knicks, or the resurgent Chicago Bulls. The Knicks offered Melo stability: he grew up in Brooklyn, moved his family to NYC when he was traded there from Denver two seasons ago, and he’d have the opportunity to continue to play in a huge market, with the money to pay him more than handsomely. The Chicago Bulls however, offered Melo a chance to win now. He was the perfect puzzle piece. Sandwiched between former MVP point guard Derrick Rose and a fantastic PF/C combo of Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, Carmelo Anthony could have been prolific, and decisively improved on defense, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau‘s specialty.
However, despite a new coach, two new starters, a new team president and nearly no chance of winning anything “now,” Melo opted to remain a New York Knick, and signed a 5-year, $124 million contract.
In a new documentary, Carmelo Anthony: Made In NY, which will air on MSG on Tuesday night, Melo details just how close he was to signing with Chicago.
There was one point in time I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going.’ Chicago was the one from Day 1 [and] was something I was very impressed with. They were looking for someone like me to come in and take them to the next level. So it was perfect.
Especially considering the Bulls currently sit 6 games ahead of the Knicks in the early season standings, it’s pretty understandable why Melo was torn during the off-season.
