(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)[/caption]Carmelo Anthony says he was down to the Bulls and Knicks in his NBA free agency decision until he ultimately decided to re-sign with New York than bolt to Chicago.
Anthony tells ESPN that the decision was more about winning than the money, though he did take tons of more money with the Knicks. However, Melo believes he has a better chance of winning in the Big Apple than in the Windy City.
"I want to win. I don't care about the money," Anthony said. "I believe Phil will do what he has to do to take care of that. I don't think we're that far away. People use 'rebuilding' too loosely."
Anthony, 30, signed a five-year, $124 million deal to stay with the Knicks. It was a tough decision for him, he says, as he didn't even check the Internet or his television during the final days leading up to his final decision.
"It was overwhelming," Anthony said. "It was stressful in the final days, one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make.
"I was flip-flopping. It was hard. It was Chicago, but then after I met with L.A., it was L.A. But it came back to Chicago -- and was pretty much always Chicago or New York. That's a situation where I could have walked in now to an opportunity to compete for the next however many years."
I think Anthony made the right decision. The Knicks have a nice roster that can be easily upgraded for next few seasons. Melo believes in Phil Jackson and new head coach Derek Fisher running the triangle offense.
"It's a matter of me believing in the organization, believing in Phil," Anthony said. "I wanted to go somewhere where I can end my career."
We'll see how Anthony's decision will look a couple years from now.
