There once was a time when Carmelo Anthony was unquestionably one of the top-five players in all of basketball. Now with the emergence of Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Stephen Curry and Paul George just to name a few, Anthony is now considered a prolific scorer who’ll never win anything but a scoring title.
He’s out to prove the doubters wrong this summer, while reclaiming his place among basketball’s elite. His trainer, Idan Ravin, told the New York Post that his clients dramatic offseason weight loss stems from his desire to lead the Knicks vocally and by example.
Ravin added that “Anthony’s goal is to be one of the top-3 players in the world.”
“Amazing people have been hired over there and he wants to come in as the leader and a top-three player in the world,’’ Ravin told The Post, adding Anthony wants the Knicks to follow his lead. “If [he’s] being meticulous, you should not just follow [his] word, but follow [his] actions.’’
Anthony reportedly started the process in mid-may, and has proceeded at a rigorous pace since the regular season ended.
“It’s consistency,’’ Ravin said. “That’s what it is. No, I’m not going to just juice and cleanse for four days and drop a few pounds. That’s what’s causing the long-term changes.
“Give someone chocolate cake, it’s easy to say no when someone’s around,’’ added Ravin, author of “The Hoops Whisperer,” a new book on his life. “When no one’s around, it’s a gift [to say no].
“Making fundamentally sound choices, eating smart calories, not wasted calories,’’ Ravin said of his strategy with Anthony. “We go out to eat, he’s making good choices.’’