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Saturday, October 5, 2013
MWP: Melo has 'the killer instinct'

By Ian Begley

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Throughout Carmelo Anthony's career, critics have questioned his commitment to the game. They point to his sub-.500 playoff record in Denver, and his propensity to operate in isolation, and draw the same general conclusion:

Anthony is a selfish player, and he doesn't care about winning.

Well, new teammate Metta World Peace disagrees with that sentiment -- strongly.

"Melo has the killer instinct. He has that championship, special character," World Peace said Thursday. "You need a player like Melo. ... You really can’t see what’s in his heart. You can see his stats, but you really can’t measure how big his heart is. It has no limit. So obviously, he has championship capabilities."

Carmelo Anthony, Metta World Peace
Anthony and World Peace share a moment at Media Day.
Some see World Peace as one of the key ingredients for Anthony this season. When World Peace shares the floor with Anthony, the thinking goes, he can defend the opponent's best forward. That way, Anthony can conserve energy for the offensive end.

That theory was posed to World Peace recently. But instead of talking defense, he chose to talk tangentially about NBA championships.

"I know how we can help each other. I need help too to get my second ring. Melo needs help to get his first ring. It's really that simple," World Peace told last month. "The Knicks need help to get a ring. ... (Knicks owner and Madison Square Garden CEO James) Dolan needs help to get a ring. So it's not just about me, it's not just about Melo, it's not just about Dolan. Everybody needs help. When you've got that mindset, that means you're doing it together. The only way I know how to work is together. I can't function when it's not together. When we do it together, I win. When we don't I lose. That's simple."

World Peace won an NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010. He's among a handful of Knicks (also including Tyson Chandler, Beno Udrih, and coach Mike Woodson) with an NBA championship ring.

But he doesn't believe his past success has any bearing on what the Knicks can do this season.

"It's not about what I've done in the past. It's about what we're about to do now," said World Peace. "What I've done in the past don't mean s---. I don't even have my (championship) ring. I raffled it off. What am I gonna do with it? Look at it? It's over. So let's get another one."

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