Carmelo Anthony is well aware that the path towards a championship does not point to New York. If he chose to play with Derrick Rose in Chicago or with Dwight Howard and James Harden in Houston, the possibility of joining the team in a championship would be high.

But still, Melo chose to be at the sides of Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher. He thinks that with the help of Jackson and the rest of the team, they would be able to fix the NY Knicks.

He said "So that right there just goes to show you that it wasn't all about running and jumping ship and trying to get something in the immediate future. I'm willing to be patient. Now how long I'm willing to be patient? I can't really tell you that, but I'm willing to be patient. I'm willing to take risks, I'm willing to take that chance. And for me to just get up and leave like that, now that I look back at it, leading up to my decision, I wouldn't have felt right within myself."

Anthony could have opted to be a free agent and chose greener pasture. He could have played with other team which could offer him betters cores with star players and the Knicks couldn't offer much beyond the highest possible salary.

He said "From a basketball standpoint it probably would've been maybe the greatest thing to do, but for me personally I wouldn't have felt right with myself. Knowing that I wanted to come here, I kind of forced my way here to New York and I have some unfinished business to take care of."

Knicks will open their first training camp under rookie coach Fisher in West Point. Melo feels confident with his body and is at ease inside the court.

He said "My big thing is I want to embrace what Phil and what Derek is doing. I want them to know that I'm in, I'm embracing this challenge. I know from a being a student of the game and watching, and knowing the history, that it will work. It takes time, nothing happens overnight, but it will work."