Carmelo Anthony thinks Knicks are the 'team to beat' as long as they do this following NBA title win
Carmelo Anthony can’t wait for Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, as he watches Jalen Brunson and the rest of the New York Knicks receive their long-awaited NBA title rings, and even better, watching a banner fly to the rafters for the first time in 53 years.
In fact, Anthony, who will be working the NBC Sports desk as part of their NBA crew, has to stop himself from prepping like he’s the one on the court wearing his No. 7 jersey again for the Knicks.
"A game like tomorrow – opening night, ring night, banner night. Like right now, I’m preparing myself to get ready for the game like I’m about to go play," he told OutKick, while highlighting his partnership with DraftKings ahead of the 2026-27 NBA season.
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"And I have to pinch myself, like, ‘Yo bro, you ain’t getting back out there. You’re good on this side.’ Just the fact that I can still be in tuned to the game of basketball like that, and more importantly, to moments and still feel what those moments actually feel like.
"I can imagine what will be going through those guys’ minds tomorrow, the adrenaline that will be pumping through them. as winning one is a dream – we all dream of winning one. You don’t play this game without dreaming of winning a championship."
This past summer felt like a dream for millions of New Yorkers and others in the surrounding area who were all pulling for the Knicks to break their championship drought. It felt like destiny, from the OG Anunoby tip-in to win Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, to the other key moments in their playoff run that Anthony and many other former Knicks had great seats for at The Garden.
But now, Anthony knows what comes with the title territory: everyone is hunting for the crown.
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"Defending it is a job," Anthony said. "So, nobody’s sneaking up on anybody anymore. That banner is going up there and the target goes on [the backs of the Knicks] instantly. Every team is going to circle the Knicks on the schedule, so that price of being champs in New York. You better embrace it and it’s going to be a fun ride."
The ride this past season was one Anthony didn’t want to get off. He admitted watching the team at first felt like he was a player all over again – until he realized he needed to just enjoy the moment like the rest of his peers and all Knicks fans hoping things would end with the Larry O’Brien Trophy being hoisted.
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