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'I would've been out for blood': Carmelo Anthony reacts to Wolves-Suns series

Anthony likes the state of the league with young stars like Anthony Edwards.
Nolan O'Hara|
New York Knicks former player Carmelo Anthony sits court side during the second quarter between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden in New York on Jan. 17, 2024.
New York Knicks former player Carmelo Anthony sits court side during the second quarter between the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets at Madison Square Garden in New York on Jan. 17, 2024. | Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports

It’s safe to say Carmelo Anthony would’ve reacted differently if he were in Kevin Durant’s shoes.

Anthony was discussing the Western Conference first-round series between the Timberwolves and Phoenix Suns on the “Point Forward” podcast with Andre Iguodala and Evan Turner in the podcast's 100th episode, which was released Wednesday.

The trio discussed the way Anthony Edwards came out on the scene and dominated, which included a back and forth with Durant, Edwards' favorite player growing up.

“That little young dude called his shot before he even started versus some legends. Is that not crazy?” Turner asked on the podcast. 

“I love it,” Anthony responded. 

Anthony might love it now, but if he had been in Durant's position, the competitor in him would have taken over and he would've had a different mindset.

“I would’ve been like this (expletive) is bugging,” Anthony said. “But see, I’d want to kill this little (expletive). I’d have been out for blood, in a competitive way, I’d have been out for blood.” 

Durant is a competitor, too, and was a forced to be reckoned with as he averaged 26.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game during the series. But there was just no stopping a determined Edwards, who averaged 31 points, eight rebounds and 6.3 assists, and the Timberwolves, who swept the Suns, winning all but Game 4 by double-digit margins.

Anthony said he understood the mentality of the Suns, who pushed all their chips in the middle to build a team with a Big 3 of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. But he also said that the details matter, and that there's a bunch of young, hungry guys — including Edwards — who don't want to hear any of that. Anthony believes the league's in good hands with the next generation.

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Nolan O'Hara
NOLAN O'HARA

Nolan O'Hara covers all things Minnesota sports, primarily the Timberwolves, for Bring Me The News and Sports Illustrated's On SI network. He previously worked as a copy editor at the St. Paul Pioneer Press and is a graduate of the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism. His work has appeared in the Pioneer Press, Ratchet & Wrench magazine, the Minnesota Daily and a number of local newspapers in Minnesota, among other publications.