Apr 4, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers former player Brian Leetch (left) shakes hands with New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (right) after unveiling a new “Garden 366” moment before a game at Madison Square Garden. Anthony
Cause I’m happyyyyyyyy….Come along if you feel like a room without a roof. Oh man! Is this too soon Bulls fans? Sorry.
Boy it feels good to be working again. For about six days, I really didn’t like LeBron James OR Carmelo Anthony. Right now, I still don’t like LeBron James. Carmelo Anthony and I have reconciled. Carmelo has FINALLY told the Los Angeles Lakers and your Chicago Bulls that he made his decision to stay in New York and this saga of will he or won’t he is painfully over. As of this writing according to ESPN’s and fellow Winston-Salem State University alum Stephen A. Smith, Melo is contract negotiations. All I have to say is……..YES!
Now that I have gotten my New York Knicks fan business out of the way. Let’s get back to work on the sports analysis. I understand how passionate you Chicago Bulls fans are. It will always be appreciated and respected. To the Leroy Boyds, the Jimbos, and all of the other Pippen Peoples that have commented with me back and forth, you guys made this website the last few months. If you’ve brought fellow fans, I appreciate that too. But ALL of you had to know…
CARMELO ANTHONY WAS IN NO DANGER OF COMING TO CHICAGO!
I have said it for months. This has absolutely nothing to do with basketball. I tried to tell you for months. This is about Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo Anthony played the Bulls. Then he took his act to Houston and played them, then Dallas and finally finished up in Los Angeles. If you look at the body of work of Carmelo’s career. This was never going to work. Mark Cuban was basically the only one that was wise to what Anthony was trying to accomplish. The recruiting trips was to push the Knicks into a max deal. Period.
Right now, I will go into three solid reasons that you can take to the bank as to why Carmelo Anthony is staying in New York.
1) Like Carmelo Anthony was REALLY going to leave $50 million dollars on the table.
I remember telling someone this recently. Championships are great,, but you can’t go to the bank and deposit championships. You can’t pay your mortgage with championships. You can’t drive championships and finally you can’t fill a gas tank with championships.
Sure, there will be a ton of fans out there who, will call him a greedy, money hungry superstar that basically lied about wanting to win a championship. Let’s say you’re absolutely positively right. Let’s say it together…
Carmelo Anthony does not want to win championships. All he cares about is money.
Okay, so?
As the head of the Anthony household, it is his job to provide resources (financial or otherwise) to take care of his family. After watching LeBron James slide back to Cleveland after four years has made it clear to each and every NBA fan, this is a business.
The NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement has changed the way players look at their finances. The players, especially the stars are now taking advantage of maximizing the earning potential. In the number one market in America. In the most famous basketball arena in the world. This is what he HAD to do to run his business.
To all the people who are getting ready to fume, do something for me. Close your eyes, count to ten and be honest with yourselves for a second. You wouldn’t have turned down that money either.
2) His family did not want to leave New York.
Does anyone watch VH1? If you do, you should know about Carmelo’s wife LaLa Anthony’s reality show LaLa’s Full Court Life right? I’m going out on a limb and say that the Anthonys have a contract with VH1 to produce this show. I work in production in a television station. So let me tell you something. You have no idea how much a hassle it would be to move production out of New York right along with all the supposed business dealings his wife is trying to hock that she portrays on that show alone and take it on the road. She has friends in New York. Shoot she probably sped up the process a few years ago to get to New York in the FIRST PLACE. Carmelo had made his decision in that interview overseas holding his son. I have three, if I don’t HAVE to leave and they want to stay because they’re happy, I’m staying,
I’m sensing some tension so let’s do a scientific experiment. All of the fellas reading this, I want you to do this. Go to your lady and ask if she would be cool turning down $129 million dollars for $77 million. Go tell your boys to go do the same. Ladies, you know I love you too. Go to your man and ask the same thing. Tell your girlfriends to do the same. Same sex couples, Pippen Ain’t Easy is a no discrimination zone, go ask your partner or spouse. Then do the same exercise.
If they say they would be cool with it. They are lying. But if I am wrong, take them out on the town tonight because you have a love that I don’t. I asked my wife and mom. They both said no…EMPHATICALLY!
3) You guys really need to start looking at your front office and pay attention.
This was never going to work. On so many levels. Here’s the scary part if you are a Bulls fan. Gar Forman and John Paxson knew it all along. Trust me, the NBA is a small world that we all would love to be in. You don’t think for one second that the front office KNEW based on the tendencies of Carmelo Anthony that he was not going to sign. You can’t walk into a Bentley dealership on a Buick budget and expect to buy a car.
Carmelo for better or worse is a max player. He has done little in the playoffs but he is a max player. NOBODY is going to take a 30-50 million dollar pay cut on nothing that wasn’t guaranteed. That’s bad business. That lacks common sense. Are the Bulls better than the Knicks? Maybe. Are they championship contenders that can knock off that Spurs team that we all saw last week?
Nope.
To close this all up, let me tell you on analytical level. You guys really did not need him under the circumstances that you were faced with. Taj Gibson was the lynchpin. The Bulls couldn’t lose him and to open up cap space for a trade. Any general manager that has a clue would start with Gibson. I know I would. You have built something that can be worked with. Obtain some parts with the cap space you do have and improve.
Pau Gasol will soon be joining the Bulls. Be happy with that. You get a talent without gutting your squad and you still have cap flexibility. Be patient and keep it locked to Pippen Ain’t Easy who will be spoon feeding information as this squad with serious potential get built.