It was flab.

Consider that group and the chiseled physiques that were on display in the locker room on a daily basis: Dwight Howard, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant...the best players on the team were also the most fit. And then there was Melo, every bit as talented and yet perhaps, ahem, flirting with the need for one of those "manziers" created by Kramer and Frank Costanza.

Carmelo heard about it plenty from those guys, according to several people who were around that team in the summer of 2008. He took it to heart and in the following offseason, he dedicated himself to a rigorous offseason program with a strict diet and intense workout program. And all he did was come back in the best shape of his career, much leaner and stronger. Knee issues, however, derailed what started off as an MVP-caliber season.

This season it appeared that Carmelo softened up a little. Perhaps the wedding and honeymoon (and subsequent campaign to get traded) sidetracked him last summer. But what does Carmelo -- who said he wants the Knicks to be the best team in the East next season -- have on the schedule this summer?

There's still a lot to prove for Carmelo. The two best seasons of his career (2006-07 and 2009-10) saw him put up impressive numbers and yet in each he didn't finish among the five finalists for MVP.

Let's put it out there now: for the Knicks to be a championship-contending team, Carmelo Anthony has to be among the five finalists for MVP.

When you watch the Miami Heat right now, just overwhelming the Boston Celtics, you see Wade and James, just physically stronger, with more endurance, than anyone the Celtics can put on them. Amar'e Stoudemire started the season off that way -- physically dominating opponents -- before he wore down after carrying so much of the weight through the season. He's so dedicated to fitness, it's something we should be able to expect every year.

There's no doubt Carmelo arrived not in the best condition and among the players that the Knicks need to make sure return in better shape -- Ronny Turiaf, for one -- the reaction I got from a few staffers when we discussed this topic is that getting Carmelo into top shape for next season isn't expected to be a problem.

Carmelo got his money and got his wish to be in New York. To be one of the league's most fittest star players should not be a problem.
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I hope he does not go the way of Bigg Dogg Glenn Robinson or Glen Rice!

Tits? Sheesh!

I'll completely regret this trade if he comes to camp out of shape. 100%.

Carmelo 2011-2012

NYKBocker wrote:

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Papabear Says

So he can wear a bra. The strapless kind. His tits won't show.

AnubisADL wrote:Paul Pierce isn't chiseled and he is still effective even though he 33 yrs old.

I like the fact that Carmelo doesnt rely on his athleticism like other players.

there's a difference between being chiseled and gasping for air. it seemed like melo's legs were tired this year. i could care less what he looks like, this isn't a body building contest, but when your J is flat because your legs are tired, there's a problem, and that's what it looked like at times with melo, at least when he first got dealt here.

yellowboy90 wrote:There was alao something elses that seperated him from the others ans that was his game. Almost everyone said he was the best player on the team and no one worked as hard as he and Kobe.

Exactly what I heard...and for those that thought ray felt was out of shape (then watch him avg 40mins)..some guys just can't get the real cut up look if your big boned..which looks to be the ccase with melo..I can tell just how strong he is by watching him always rebounding his mis shots in heavy traffic...