Carmelo Anthony Refutes ESPN Report, Says He Would Love To Play With Kobe Bryant
Last week, ESPN The Magazine released a report quoting Lakers and NBA insiders saying Bryant has hurt the Lakers chances to attract big-name free agents.
Anthony recently told ESPN that Kobe had nothing to do with his decision to stay in New York:
"Hell no. Of course not. If I thought that [playing for the Lakers] was the right situation for me from an overall perspective as far as having a team there, then I would have looked at that situation more in-depth. I just felt more comfortable staying here in New York. But as far as playing with him ... I'm here now but I would always love to play with Kobe."
Bryant was supposed to attend the Lakers' recruiting pitch for Anthony, but couldn't make it back in time from a European vacation. Anthony says he and Bryant still spoke on occasion:
"He wasn't calling me every day and like, 'Get over here! I want you here! We had conversations about different situations whether it was in New York or in L.A., but it wasn't to the point where it was non-stop calling or texting or stuff like that."
Though the Lakers offered Anthony their maximum four-year, $96-million contract, Anthony chose to stay with New York for five years, $124 million. Besides for the massive pay difference, Anthony grew up in New York and has said he wouldn't feel right leaving the Knicks without winning a championship.
Knicks coach Derek Fisher, who won five championships with Kobe, also defended him saying players are "thinking about the wrong thing" if they find it hard to work with Bryant.