NBA Rumors: James Harden, Coach Mike D’Antoni Talk About Carmelo Anthony’s Short Stint In Houston


When the Houston Rockets signed Carmelo Anthony from the buyout market, James Harden expressed huge optimism that the 10-time NBA All-Star could help them win an NBA championship title in the 2018-19 NBA season. Harden believed that the arrival of Anthony would give them a strong chance of beating the reigning NBA champions, Golden State Warriors, in a best-of-seven series. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as expected between Anthony and the Rockets.

After 10 games, the Rockets decided to officially remove Carmelo Anthony from their rotation, and recently, the veteran small forward was traded to the Chicago Bulls. Anthony isn’t expected to play a single game in Chicago, but the Bulls are in no rush to waive his contract and will try to use him in a one-for-one trade before the February NBA trade deadline.

In a recent interview with Ian Begley of ESPN, James Harden and Rockets Head Coach Mike D’Antoni discussed Carmelo Anthony’s failed stint with the Rockets. Harden admitted that he’s disappointed with how things turned out between Anthony and the Rockets.

“Yeah, man. Melo is one of the best to ever hoop. He loves the game of basketball,” Harden said. “Some guys just do it just because they’re gifted or they’re athletic or they can shoot the basketball. There’s not that many players that like, love to hoop…. It kind of sucks that it didn’t work out. It is what it is. I just hope he finds somewhere where they can embrace him and he can still hoop. So he [gets to] make that decision that he’s done [playing].”

Carmelo Anthony may be the odd man out in Houston, but James Harden strongly believes that the veteran small forward still has lots of gas left in his tank and can still play basketball. Harden said that “for sure” Anthony can still help a team.

Rockets Head Coach Mike D’Antoni shared the same sentiment as James Harden, saying that there’s no reason why Carmelo Anthony can’t find a new home this season.

“Sure, he’s a great player. Why wouldn’t he be able to?”

Coach Mike D’Antoni admitted that Carmelo Anthony did everything he could to make himself fit with the Rockets. After refusing to come off the bench with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony willingly accepted a reduced role in Houston. Unfortunately, Anthony was not the only player that D’Antoni needed on their team.

As of now, the Bulls are still hoping that they can find a team who are willing to throw away assets for Carmelo Anthony. If they fail to move him before the February NBA trade deadline, the Bulls are expected to waive his contract and let him choose his next destination.

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