Wendell Carter Jr. has yet to play his first NBA game, but he's already getting valuable lessons from a perennial scorer in Carmelo Anthony, who is teaching young rookies the value of paving the way for others.
The Chicago Bulls' seventh overall pick in this year's draft took every word in stride, as Anthony explained how this league went from what it was back then to the huge business it is today with contracts higher than they've ever been.
“It’s been very informational,” Carter told K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune over a phone interview after participating in this week’s mandatory Rookie Transition Program. “Not to talk bad about anybody, but our (generation’s) attention spans aren’t that long. So the fact they make it informational and fun, I feel we can soak it all up.”
Carter then went on to praise Anthony for his candor, explaining the process of making this league what it is and how players have forged the current contractual structure with the help of the Players' Association.
“Melo was real cool talking to us about the brotherhood we’re stepping into and the foundation the players before us have laid down. A prime example is the amount of money we’re getting paid now. Back in the day it wasn’t as readily available as it is now, and players before us fought for that.”
Anthony infamously kept every penny of his oversized $27.9 million deal after signing a beefy five-year, $124 million deal to remain with the New York Knicks in 2014. Melo admirably managed to keep every cent of his contract after negotiation buyout terms with the Atlanta Hawks, getting the last bit of it with a $2.4 million veteran's minimum contract with the Houston Rockets.
While it looks greedy at first, Melo is showing that players can make the most of the letter of the law and get teams to respect their current contracts, no matter the instance — paving the way for younger players to follow in the future.
“Melo talked about how, yeah, we’re stepping in and (we) want to take over and be great in this sport. But we have to back up one another because we’re all we’ve got in this league.”
Carter could make much more than Anthony over time if he becomes a star in this league, as contracts are already at a record-high and are bound to balloon with the revenue from sports betting over the course of the next few years.
The Bulls got themselves a player with a good head on his shoulders.
Follow Us
Subscribe