And now for a live look inside the New York Knicks locker room.
Carmelo Anthony: “Yo, ‘Zaps. I got you something.”
[Melo hands Kristaps Porzingis a gold-gilded Alex and Ani bangle with an oversized charm of Toy Story‘s Buzz Lightyear and Woody bumping fists and winking at one another.]
Porzingis: “What is this?”
Melo: “It’s Toy Story, bro! You’ve never seen it? Shiiiiiit. We gotta watch it this weekend at our end-of-December sleepover. Don’t forget the cheese doodles this time…Now, push down on the right one’s head.”
[Melo gestures toward the Woody side of the charm. Porzingis presses down on his head, and Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” begins playing at surprisingly high volume.]
Melo: “Ain’t nobody gonna come between you and me, ‘Zaps. Never, ever.”
[End scene]
OK, so, that probably hasn’t happened. But if it hasn’t happened, it’s not because Anthony doesn’t like Porzingis, as many initially believed when the Knicks first drafted him. He is all in on Porzingis and wants the world to know.
From Yahoo Sports’ Marc J. Spears:
Carmelo Anthony has a warning for those who think he won’t mesh with New York Knicks rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis.
“I know what we have as teammates. Nobody can come between us despite what anybody says. Nobody,” Anthony told Yahoo Sports.
It’s unclear if Anthony is referring to the typical bond any two teammates tend to share, or if he and the 20-year-old Porzingis have developed a unique off-court rapport that transcends the obligatory basketball brotherhood.
Either way, Anthony’s apparent loyalty to Porzingis is a good thing. The Knicks aren’t a great team. It’s not as if these two are preparing to lead them toward a championship. But at a time when the 31-year-old could easily see Porzingis as a threat, as a bridge to a generation that doesn’t include him, he’s instead embraced his presence, making life easier on everyone, regardless of the on-court result.
In the end, as the Knicks continue to reconfigure their roster around these two, Anthony’s willingness to count Porzingis as important, as an equal, could make a world of difference.
