Carmelo Anthony received a call from NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday that part of him wished he wouldn’t receive. Silver invited Anthony to partake in Sunday’s All-Star Game, offering him the spot of the injured Kevin Love.
Anthony accepted Silver’s invitation, but was initially surprised that he was the player chosen to take Love’s spot.
“I was a little shocked, to be honest with you,” Anthony told Kristen Ledlow before the East All-Star practice on Saturday from New Orleans. “I was definitely looking forward to resting and relaxing, but once I sat down and thought about it, you know, it’s All-Star Weekend. I’ll come out here and enjoy the weekend for a couple days, and get right back to it.”
Anthony planned on vacationing during the All-Star break, and called it somewhat of a ‘downer’ that his trip was canceled, per Dan Feldman of NBC Sports.
“It was a downer,” Anthony said. “I had to cancel my trip. No refunds.”
The Knicks star said he planned to vacation in Cuba and Puerto Rico over the break. Instead, he had to make travel arrangements to New Orleans as other non-All-Star players not selected made him “jealous” with pictures from their vacation pictures.
“I had to shut my phone off,” Anthony said.
Nonetheless, Anthony clarified that he was happy to be competing in his tenth All-Star Game despite his relaxation plans being foiled.
“It’s a good thing,” Anthony said. “I don’t want to seem like I’m not happy about it.”
The 2017 NBA-All Star Game is set to tip off on Sunday night, where Carmelo and the East All-Stars will take on a loaded West All-Star team from New Orleans, Louisiana.
