Lakers' Carmelo Anthony Praises Knicks, Doesn't Want LeBron to Miss Playing at MSG

After spending six-plus seasons with the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony is ready to return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

The veteran took note of his former team's efforts to turn things around in recent seasons when asked Monday about the Knicks:

The Knicks (9-8) reached the playoffs last season for the first time since Anthony led the squad to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2013. The squad failed to reach 30 wins in any of the first three seasons after Anthony was traded in 2017. 

It could create an exciting battle when New York hosts the Lakers (9-9), but Anthony is hoping star teammate LeBron James won't be suspended for the contest.

"We're not gonna put that energy out there," Anthony told reporters Monday.

James' status is in question after he was ejected for a hard foul during Sunday's game against the Detroit Pistons, leading to a major scuffle between the two teams:

It was just the second time in his career that LeBron has been ejected from a game.

The Lakers certainly won't want to lose the 17-time All-Star for any amount of time after some inconsistent play that has included losing three of their last four games. James also won't want to miss out on the once-a-year chance to play in Madison Square Garden.

LeBron has excelled in road games in New York during his career, scoring 50 points on multiple occasions while calling it his "favorite playground" in a 2017 Instagram post. He missed last year's game with an injury, but he will hope to play a big role alongside Carmelo on Tuesday night.