Carmelo Anthony is Ready for the Brooklyn Nets Rivalry

The Knicks’ small forward talks his offseason training routine and playing alongside Metta World Peace.

When Carmelo Anthony and his trainer IdanRavin invited us to run through some of some of the NBA all-star’s drills as part of Degree’s Do: More campaign we were happy to oblige…until the work out actually started. Once we caught our breath (well, sort of), ‘Melo was nice enough A) not to laugh at us, and B) to discuss how he spent the offseason.

We just went through a pared down, 40-minute version of your own training routine. How much more extreme is your regular training version?

I probably would still be warming up right now! The warm-up for me is the hardest part, with all the stretching and getting loose. I used to be able to just get on the court and run all day, but now I really got to take into consideration the fact that my body is different. You have to stretch and get properly warmed up before you get up there. Part of that is for injury prevention, because even a slight injury can affect your body in a lot of different ways.

From your role in the Degree Men Do: More campaign we already know part of your offseason takes place in the boxing ring. Is there anything else you do off court to stay in shape? 

This summer I did a lot of Pilates and bike riding. I also set up a little mini-camp for myself in Puerto Rico. It was just my trainer and me and we went down there for two weeks to do a lot of stuff on the beach, basically turning everything into a beach workout. That was something different for me. I’m thinking about doing that every summer from now – just pick a great place and make that my mini-camp!

Immediately following the playoffs, is there a week where you don’t want to even think about basketball, or do you go straight back into your training routine?

I try to take about two, two and a half weeks off to just get away from the sport. I don’t want to watch it, deal with it, or even see a basketball. Then towards the end of June, I start to pick everything back up, starting with general fitness and gradually getting back into the basketball part.

There have been quite a few changes in the Knicks roster since last season, mainly the addition of Metta World Peace. Have you played with him yet?

Yeah we’ve been up at the practice facilities for the past two weeks. Most of the guys are already up there, working out together, playing pick-up and just trying to get comfortable and acclimated to everybody. We’ll see what happens. Everybody’s excited. I’m excited. Especially with training camp starting, everyone’s adrenaline is pumping.

Is there a particular team you have to watch out for this year?

In the Eastern Conference, it’s everybody. Now it’s so spread-out, whereas before you had maybe two dominant teams. Now you have almost six, seven, eight teams in the Eastern Conference that you have to be on the lookout for.

One of those has to be the revamped Brooklyn Nets as well. What are your feelings about the impending rivalry?

You have to be excited for that! If you’re not excited for that then there’s no need to even be playing basketball. That should get you excited. That should get you to get up and do what you have to do.

Check out One Round With Carmelo Anthony and Carmelo Anthony Talks Charity Roasts and the Crosstown Rivalry.