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Former ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski recently appeared on Carmelo Anthony's podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, and he revealed that Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant once thought he would end up playing for the New York Knicks.
“It's funny Kobe always though, he was convinced he was going to end up with the Knicks,” Wojnarowski said on 7PM in Brooklyn. “He goes, ‘they're gonna amnesty me, and no one's gonna claim me on waivers, and I'm gonna go sign with the Knicks.' I said like, ‘they're not gonna amnesty you.' I said, ‘they'll burn this city down.' He loved the Lakers and he only ever really wanted to be there. He would fantasize about the garden.”
There are several stories that have surfaced regarding Bryant possibly leaving the Lakers. Obviously, that never happened. He remained a Laker for his entire career, and the thought that he would get amnestied never came true. Even though he fantasized about Madison Square Garden, he never ended up playing for the Knicks.
Kobe Bryant defended Carmelo Anthony with Knicks
When Phil Jackson took over with the Knicks, him and Anthony did not get along very well, and during that time, Bryant defended Anthony. Wojnarowski and Anthony spoke on what Bryant would say during the podcast.
“He loved this guy (Carmelo Anthony),” Wojnarowski said. “I remember standing with him at the Staples Center. I would always talk to him kind of on the way to his car. He was defending you. He was like, ‘I told Melo stop apologizing. Play the way you play, stop apologizing.' It was right in the middle of the Phil stuff.”
Anthony recounted what Bryant would say to him regarding Jackson, saying that he should play the way he is meant to play.
“He told me, ‘why the f*** you keep apologizing? F*** that Mother******. Stop apologizing,'” Anthony said. “You know what, yeah Phil you right my bad, I apologize. He like, ‘Mother****** why you keep apologizing? Stop taking all these shots.' I said, ‘shooters shoot.' He said, ‘No mother****** stop taking all them bullets.'”
Of course, Jackson coached Bryant with the Lakers. It is notable given the history he had with Jackson that Bryant would defend Anthony. Jackson's tenure with the Knicks did not end well. Eventually, the franchise moved on and now it is much more successful with Leon Rose running things.
Regardless, it would have been interesting to see Bryant and Anthony play together with the Knicks.
