NBA title is the 'ultimate goal' says Carmelo Anthony after joining LeBron James
Anthony says the Lakers' ultimate goal this season is to capture the Larry O'Brien trophy
Carmelo Anthony has made it clear that he is coming to the Los Angeles Lakers with just one thing in mind, "the NBA championship." The 37-year-old joined the Lakers on a veterans minimum deal this summer, and will line up alongside LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook.
The 2020 NBA champions have a stacked lineup with James, Westbrook and Davis alongside veteran stars Anthony, Dwight Howard and Trevor Ariza. While the former Portland Trailblazers cager is a household name in the NBA, he has yet to win a championship ring. Anthony admitted that it is something that keeps him up at night.
The 10-time NBA All-Star explained that he wants to feel the "turmoil and adversity" a championship chasing team goes through during the course of a season. Anthony is certain that every member on the Lakers roster has the same mindset - the title or nothing.
"This is the one thing that keeps me up at night, it motivates me, because I don't have it," Anthony said, as quoted on News Observer. "I want that experience. I want to experience what it's like and going through the ups and downs of a championship season with a team."
"We have the talent. We just got to put it all together. And in order for us to put that all together, we really got to have one common goal and that's winning a championship. I know that for a fact that the guys that we have on this year's roster, that's the ultimate goal. There's nothing less of that."
Anthony and James are long-time friends and despite being in the NBA for a number of years, they are yet to play together. The former admitted that it is something the two players have spoken about for a number of years, with James finally telling his USA basketball teammate that the "time is now."
"For years, we always laughed about it," Anthony said, as quoted on USA Today, "and spoke about it on what it would be like."
"The time is now. I want you," was James' message to Anthony as they target a title together. "We have to make this happen."
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