carmelo anthony - first step to greatness
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photo by steed media service
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Forward, Denver Nuggets
The post-Michael Jordan era of the NBA was supposed to be rescued by the draft class of 2003. The stars of that draft — LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony — have enough talent to make disaffected NBA fans forget about the man who defied gravity on the court and changed the face of product endorsements. Although Wade and James have both led their respective teams to the NBA Finals (Miami in 2006 and Cleveland in 2007), Anthony has struggled to advance the Denver Nuggets past the first-round of the NBA playoffs. With help from his all-star teammate, Allen Iverson, Anthony believes that this will be the year that the Nuggets finally prove their mettle during the playoffs. -amir shaw
The Denver Nuggets have one of the most talented teams in the NBA, but you all have struggled in the past during the playoffs. What will be different about this year?
I think we have finally come together and focused on playing hard every game. The Western Conference is very tough. We have to win every game in order to keep pace with all of the other teams. People will see what we’re made of in the second half of the season.
How has Allen Iverson helped the team?
Allen [Iverson] has definitely been a leader on and off the court for this team. He knows what to expect when we’re faced with tough game situations. His presence has allowed everyone to grow as competitors.
You have done a lot to reach back and help the kids in your hometown Baltimore. Talk about some of those things.
I have my Carmelo Anthony Foundation. We recently opened the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center in Baltimore. The center is a place where disadvantaged youth can play games and also learn. We have several educational programs and we also do free health screenings and host job fairs.
The 2008 NBA All-Star game was played in New Orleans. What were your thoughts of the event being held in that city?
I think it was a good thing. To bring back the energy by uplifting the city was great. People need to believe that New Orleans can get back to normal. But we all have to do a better job of making sure that the attention remains on helping the people who were affected by Hurricane Katrina.
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