Carmelo Anthony on tanking: 'Bad mentality to have'
New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony says he is not thinking about tanking to have a better shot at a high draft pick because it's a "bad mentality to have."
Anthony and the Knicks won again on Wednesday, a 98-91 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. It's the Knicks' first two-game winning streak in more than two months.
Anthony, who scored 27 points in the win, said he doesn't know how to think about losing on purpose.
"Having that mindset as a basketball player, as a competitor, it's just hard to do unless you don't care about the game, what happens and your performance," Anthony said, according to Newsday. "To say that we're going to go out there and we want to lose a basketball game, I think that's a bad mentality to have."
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Even with the victory over Philadelphia, the Knicks have the worst record in basketball, which increases their chance to win the lottery and secure the top spot in the draft. But the team that finished the season with the worst record has only won the draft lottery once in the past 12 years.
Anthony also said he is still bothered by a sore left knee but plans on participating in the NBA All-Star Game, set to take place Feb. 15 at Madison Square Garden.
- Scooby Axson
