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OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER MEDIA CONFERENCE

September 25, 2017

Carmelo Anthony

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Q. Carmelo, whenever the possibility of you coming to Oklahoma City was brought up, the common theory was you would never want to play in Oklahoma City?
CARMELO ANTHONY: That's because nobody really knew me.

Q. So my question is obviously a great roster and great organization, but the thought of playing and living in Oklahoma City, why was that okay for you?
CARMELO ANTHONY: Well, first of all, it happened so fast, so quickly. I had to make a quick decision. But believe it or not, Oklahoma City was a team that me and my team talked about. We discussed it. And if the opportunity presented itself, whereas though we can kind of bring a deal to the Knicks organization is something that both parties feel comfortable with. This is a team, this is an organization, this is a city that I had no problem coming and being a part of.

Q. Carmelo, how much did Russell and Paul play a part of that in terms of convincing you to be here and wanting to play with you?
CARMELO ANTHONY: You know, Russ doesn't really do the convincing. He came to New York and played pick-up at my gym. I saw him in Paris at fashion week. Me and Russ became close over the years. He was a big part. He was a big reason why I wanted to come here. To see his loyalty to the city, to this organization, what he was able to do on the court. I wanted to be a part of that.

Adding P.G. was just another reason why I wanted to come here. Our relationship, our friendship, our respect for one another as basketball players was the reason that I wanted to play alongside him and have an opportunity to compete for a championship and kind of just bring some more energy, not like this city needs any more energy, but it's a different energy, a different focus, a different motivation that myself have, Paul has and Russ has, being that we haven't won a championship yet in our career, and we see that, and that's our ultimate goal.

Q. You posted on your website kind of like a love letter to New York saying goodbye to everybody. When you look back, how will you reflect on your time with the Knicks? How do you hope fans will remember your legacy there?
CARMELO ANTHONY: I think you have to ask those fans. I think every fan would give you a different answer to that. But I thought I became a product of my environment as far as adjusting to what I had to adjust to from a basketball standpoint.

Win, lose or draw, you know, I was there every night. I came in and competed every night. I stayed professional throughout all of the ups and downs that comes along with being in New York. It was a lot of noise, so I had to find some type of quietness and find some me time to try to figure this all out. But I don't think the fans will have anything bad to say because I think they understand, they're very educated. They understand what it's like playing in New York. For me, I feel like I've embraced all of those challenges playing in New York.

Off the court I was very engaged with the community and engaged with the youth, family friends. I will always feel like I'm a major, major part of that city, so that's not going anywhere. And I just want those fans to understand that this was a business decision. This was a career decision, and it happens. It's sports.

There are times in sports where everybody has to go their separate ways and there are no hard feelings. There's no bad blood between myself and that organization or anybody over there. But I'm here now, and I would like to close that chapter and begin this new chapter.

Q. The common theme when you bring three guys that have been lead dogs on their teams, can they mesh? Do you see that as a problem? And you've got a short preseason, a shorter time to work together, do you see that as being an issue?
CARMELO ANTHONY: I don't see -- the only issue I probably would say that we're going to face is the chemistry early, getting to know one another, not trying to make it all happen in one night, all in one game and understanding that this is a process, this is a marathon. It's going to take a little bit of time for us to gel. Not just us three, but the whole team to get a chance to know one another.

But at the end of the day, it's basketball. I didn't want to come here to try to outshine Paul or Russ and vice versa. We're trying to win basketball games, and by any means necessary, we're going to do that. I'm going to bring my skillset to this team, to this organization, and that's what I'm here for. I've always been kind of a product of my environment and being able to just be a chameleon in the sense of just blending into my situation and making that situation work, whatever it calls for, whether I was with the New York Knicks, whether I was on the USA team, and even here in Oklahoma.

Q. You've carried a lot of scoring loads on your teams, what's it mean to you to look at the roster and these guys and realize that you don't necessarily have to do that anymore?
CARMELO ANTHONY: It's different though because I don't want to take the load on of I have to do it and score 30, 40, 50 points every night. But, I mean, I score. That's what I do. I can't take that away from me. Being that I do that very well, I think this team needs that, along with some other things. I didn't come here just to be a rebounder. I came here to bring my skillset to this team and fit into what's the plan.

I haven't sat down with Coach yet to see how we're going to play or what we're going to do in schemes and things like that. But for the most part I want to be able to do what I do best within the confines of the system and what Coach wants and being able to work alongside Russ and P.G.

Q. You only get one chance to make a first impression, they say. What was your first impression? The fans meeting you at the airport?
CARMELO ANTHONY: Unbelievable, unbelievable. To go from a situation where it was just an emotional roller coaster for me back in New York. At times it was very strenuous on myself and on my family. My family's actually still there, back in New York. So I just want to take my hat off to them for being able to stick it out for me and dealing with that, and dealing with me after the long nights and the lonely nights.

But to come here on the flip side of that and feel that passion and feel that energy, anytime you feel wanted and appreciated, you can't even put those feelings into words.

Q. What is your history with Billy Donovan? How well do you know each other and what are your thoughts on him as a coach?
CARMELO ANTHONY: Honestly, I have no history with Coach. You know, so that's going to be another process that we have to get used to. But I respect him, Hall of Fame coach, I respect him. I know his pedigree. I know his resumÃ©. I know what he's about. Technically speaking, he's a young coach in this league, still learning. I'm all in with him, whatever he needs from me, I'm there. He can communicate with me. He can come talk with me. I can come talk to him, and I think that's the way we're going to make this thing work.

I'm letting him coach. I'll be the player, and I respect that. We go from there.

Q. I had two questions. The first is how do you feel about starting at the four or the concept of starting at the four, or even coming off the bench?
CARMELO ANTHONY: Who, me (laughing)?

Q. I guess that answers that part.
CARMELO ANTHONY: I mean, I don't know where that started or where that came from (laughing).

Hey, Pete, they said I've got to come off the bench (laughing). No, I'm sorry. Go ahead, go ahead.

Q. I guess the bench question is not a question. How do you feel about the potential of starting at the four, and on a lighter note, how do you feel about the phenomenon of Hoodie Melo?
CARMELO ANTHONY: The first part is speaking on the playing the four. I wouldn't even call it the power forward position anymore in this day and game. It's a four. It's a number. You're out there on the basketball court. It's a position. I don't feel no type of way.

I feel like there have been times where I've been my strongest at that position and like I said earlier, I can adjust. If you need me to play the three, which is my natural position, I would do that. You need me to play the four, which I think I could actually be a lot better at the four with this team, then I'll do that. I'll be moving around. I'll be moving around.

But I have no problem with playing the four. None at all. I actually like that. I actually embrace that. I think for this team it would be better for me to play the four and more beneficial to everybody.

And the Hoodie Melo thing, you know, for me it was just -- actually, it started with a beanie. I was just in the gym, and I didn't have a haircut, and I'm just going to go and throw a hat on, I wanted to sweat. I just started working back out in the summer. And then from there it went to a hoodie and it got out and the phenomenon started.

But for me it was just showing a different focus that I have, a different motivation. Kind of just locking into what I have to do and locking myself into the gym and locking myself into focusing in on my body because I didn't know what was going to happen. So it was just so much going on that was surrounding me that I just wanted to find a way that I could just focus in. That's when Hoodie Melo was created.

Q. Can you tell us where Dwyane Wade will be playing this year?
CARMELO ANTHONY: Where is he? I have no idea to be honest with you. I would love to have him here in Oklahoma City, but am I allowed to say that? Is that tampering? Oh, he's free now? Come on, you know you belong. That's all I'm going to say.

Q. With the lack of media coverage on Puerto Rico after the hurricane.
CARMELO ANTHONY: That's the most important question of the day.

Q. With you being one of the few players in the league with familial ties to the island, can you tell me what you're doing to help the recovery efforts and what your new fan base can do to help you out with that?
CARMELO ANTHONY: Yeah, well, I've started like a YouCaring page and link and trying to raise the funds to help bring Puerto Rico back and help Puerto Rico by any means necessary. I'm committed to my island to help everything. I'm talking to government officials down there and all these organizations just trying to figure everything out. I don't want to do something just to do it. I want it to be meaningful. I want the people to feel impacted by what I'm trying to do and trying to create.

There is just so much that's going on right now down there on the island that it's hard to say that I'm going to do this, I'm going to do that, or I'm going to do that. It's not until we figure out what exactly is going on and exactly what we're going to do.

But I'm committed and I call on everybody, any and everybody, to not overlook Puerto Rico because there is so many things going on in the world today in our country today and at the end of the day Puerto Rico is a part of the United States, so we cannot overlook that island.

I challenge the powers that be and the President of the United States to not overlook Puerto Rico and don't overlook our Puerto Ricans. We need all the help we can get. Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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