Carmelo Anthony has been through murky waters in his past two seasons with the New York Knicks. A declining scoring average and a lack of efficiency that earned him the label of a ball-stopper as the team was once again unable to crack a playoff seed.

Upon his trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Melo has regained a much-needed joy for the game — one that can get lost in the stress, frustration, and the countless rumors surrounding a media goliath like the one NYC has had year in and year out.

“I’m a product of my environment,” Anthony told Michael Lee of The Vertical. “I’ve always been that. You put me in any situation, I’ll make an adjustment to that situation. That’s what I’m going to do, regardless of where I’m at.”

Anthony survived a pestering feud with former president Phil Jackson, one which went from passive-aggressive messages through the media to outright dangling him in trade talks during the exit media availability at the end of last season.

Leaving New York wasn't the easiest decision, after refusing to be traded during his last season in the Big Apple regardless of all the commotion and controversy surrounding the franchise.

“It was a little bittersweet because I knew that chapter was over and everybody else knew that chapter was over,” said Anthony. “People didn’t want to believe it. It didn’t feel right but after a while it kicked in.”

“The situation made it easier for me, but it also made it harder for me. Because at the end of the day, everybody knows how I feel about New York and being there and being in the city. Everybody knows that. So, for me, it was like, I needed something to push me forward to be definitive with my decision. Like, ‘OK, this is what it is,’ and I never want to go through that again. Because everything I had to deal with and to be motivated to play basketball and still be there for my family, still be there for my teammates, and still represent the actual city, that was very difficult.”

Having gotten wind of multiple trade talks and a new front office that had no intentions of keeping him on the roster, the 10-time All-Star had to make a decision on his future after bumping into a wall of obstacles pushing him further back from his desires.

“It takes a lot for me to get to that spot where it’s enough is enough. I got to almost be selfish a little bit, with what I want right now — winning,” Anthony told The Vertical. “I have to figure this out. I have to figure this out. That was my out. They gave me that out. New York gave me that out. Phil gave me that out. And though I really didn’t want to get out of there, I thought the timing of everything was almost perfect.”

Now with an All-Star core around him, Melo has picked up where he left off this summer, building off the focus he put into his workout at his trainer Chris Brickley's Blackout Sessions, which took the offseason by storm.

“This is just me,” said Anthony. “This is Melo having fun again. This is Melo being motivated again. This is Melo having pieces around him who he can play off of and who they can play off of.”

“This is something that I’ve always wanted. At the end of the day, it’s basketball for me. With basketball, you make adjustments.”