LONDON – Carmelo Anthony said contrary to perception, he and Jeremy Lin parted ways on great terms, and said “money talks’’ when explaining why the former Knicks point guard is now with the Houston Rockets.
At Friday’s U.S. Olympic basketball team’s inaugural London press conference, attended by several hundred journalists, Anthony said he spoke to Lin after the Knicks didn’t match his $25.1 million offer. Melo had called the Rockets offer sheet “a ridiculous contract’’ in Washington D.C. and their chemistry on the court was never smooth, leaving a feeling he was happy to see Lin go.
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“Believe it or not, I was one of the true supporters of Jeremy Lin,’’ Anthony said. “Whether it was staying or going to Houston. That’s not something I go out and brag and broadcast about. After he signed with Houston, I talked to him. He texted me, It was a great text. What he sent me meant a lot.’’
The Knicks didn’t match the offer because of luxury-tax implications and they jumped at the chance to bring Raymond Felton back into the organization to replace Lin as starting point guard. Anthony said the Knicks’ free agency was still a big success and considers them formidable.
“Money talks, at the end of the day,’’ Anthony said. “Houston threw something out there that he couldn’t refuse. The Knicks organization didn’t feel like they had to match it. I’m proud of him, happy for him. Just to see where he came from, see where he started and ending up back in Houston the team that let him go and put us in a position to let us acquire him. He’s back out there in a totally different situation and settlement. I wish him all the luck.’’
Lin’s detractors have pointed out his inability to return from knee surgery after a six-week span, when he said he didn’t feel he could help the club at “85 percent’’ late in the first-round series against Miami. Lin said then and last week that veteran players told him not to play in that condition and Melo confirmed that at the time.
“I never told him not to play. What I did tell him, if he wasn’t ready to play in his own mind, then he shouldn’t force his body to play if he wasn’t ready,’’ Anthony said.
The NBA schedule was announced last night and the Knicks will open in Brooklyn vs. the Nets on Nov. 1.
“I can’t wait, I can’t wait,’’ said Melo, who was born in Brooklyn.
Anthony, in his third straight Olympiad, said he believes he will start some of the Olympic games but is comfortable off the bench. Team USA begins play Sunday vs. France as heavy favorites to win its second straight gold medal.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/knicksblog/knicks_anthony_says_he_was_true_0RP3LoIi9IBztdKjxU5wyI#ixzz21q4CZIYw

Tyson Chandler, is appearing in his first Olympics and on Friday the veteran center said that the idea that Anthony didn't want Lin is "nonsense."
"Carmelo was always supportive of Jeremy," Chandler said.

I'm pretty sure the Melo detractors will ignore Melo's actual words and will instead believe Beck and Wojo's speculative, opinionated columns.

Also....I remember Woodson shutting down Lin in the playoffs till the second round. He said it himself because the media was asking too much. He said Lin was not going to play.

enough of this bull**** already....

Bonn1997 wrote:

EnySpree wrote:Didn't Melo ask D'antoni to give Lin a shot? I remember reading that Melo was asking coach to give him a shot.

Also....I remember Woodson shutting down Lin in the playoffs till the second round. He said it himself because the media was asking too much. He said Lin was not going to play.

enough of this bull**** already....

My point was just that there's no point in taking seriously the comments players give to the media, especially the well-planned out comments, as opposed to when they have to answer questions on the spot.

If this is the case, why did half the board and the media use Melo's "Ridiculous" comment (which was taken out of context), to vilify him and use it as evidence to say Melo never wanted Lin here in the first place?

Bonn1997 wrote:

Uptown wrote:Here's what Tyson Chandler had to say

Tyson Chandler, is appearing in his first Olympics and on Friday the veteran center said that the idea that Anthony didn't want Lin is "nonsense."
"Carmelo was always supportive of Jeremy," Chandler said.

I'm pretty sure the Melo detractors will ignore Melo's actual words and will instead believe Beck and Wojo's speculative, opinionated columns.

Melo also gave full support to MDA many times. Do you place full confidence in those statements of his too?

Call me old school, but I'd take a man at his word before believing third and fourth party media-types and fans that go on a witch hunt and form opinions based on body language, hearsay and personal point of view.

Same philosophy, different target different sports

Uptown wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

Uptown wrote:

Bonn1997 wrote:

Uptown wrote:Here's what Tyson Chandler had to say

Tyson Chandler, is appearing in his first Olympics and on Friday the veteran center said that the idea that Anthony didn't want Lin is "nonsense."
"Carmelo was always supportive of Jeremy," Chandler said.

I'm pretty sure the Melo detractors will ignore Melo's actual words and will instead believe Beck and Wojo's speculative, opinionated columns.

Melo also gave full support to MDA many times. Do you place full confidence in those statements of his too?

Call me old school, but I'd take a man at his word before believing third and fourth party media-types and fans that go on a witch hunt and form opinions based on body language, hearsay and personal point of view.

Straw man.. I never argued for believing the latter

Some of our fellow Knick brethren on this board have. Speculative articles trump actual quotes, accept when a quote can be used to support said agenda (see the "Ridiculous" comment). But when there's actual quotes when Melo says, "I'm a true supporter of Lin," or when Lin himself has said many times that Melo supported him, its ignored or brushed off. Instead, opinionated Columns by Wojo that don't have any quotes from Lin or Melo, are used to support the Melo detractors theories that he never wanted Lin.....

JamesLin wrote:This post reminded me of something Dottie Sandusky just said. "he's not who they say he is."

Same philosophy, different target different sports

WHAT?!?

What does Sandusky have to do with any of this?

Bonn1997 wrote:The one you posted in this thread. It's obviously a comment he made to do damage control after 2 weeks of criticism regarding the whole Lin situation.

And you know this as truth because....

Melo is fat!