Carmelo Anthony Says He Still Has 4 to 5 Years of High-Level Play Left

Carmelo Anthony is coming off knee surgery and believes he can fulfill his current $124 million max contract by playing at an elite level.

Anthony, 31, is heading into his 13th season—the second on his current five-year deal—on the heels of surgery to his left knee in February, which limited him to a career-low 40 games last year. The New York Knicks’ highest-paid player told Ian Begley of ESPN.com following the team’s final training-camp practice that he believes he will maintain his superstar form.

"I wasn’t a guy who would run straight to surgery for anything,” Anthony said. “But I think now, [taking] care of this really put me in position to perform at a high level for the next four or five years.”

Per Begley, LeBron James (35,769) is the only player from the 2003 NBA draft who has played more minutes than Anthony (30,266).

The eight-time All-Star bristled at the notion that he is entering the twilight of his career, noting that his style of play—below the rim and with a quick first step—lends to a potentially longer career:

"

If I was a guy who kind of played above the rim and played at a fast pace and just running and jumping -- that was my game, very athletic -- then I’d probably be sitting here singing a different tune. But the way that I play, the way that I know how to pace myself, the way I know how to pick my spots out on the basketball court, I’m not a guy who’s playing above the rim every play so it works in my favor.

"

The Knicks are coming off their worst season in franchise history (17-65) and will rely heavily on Anthony’s health as he anchors an offense that ranked dead last in 2014-15, averaging 91.9 points per game. Since hiring Phil Jackson as team president in March 2014, the Knicks have relied on a triangle offense that has been widely considered to be outdated in today's NBA context. 

Yet Anthony remains optimistic and thinks a title is on the horizon, per Begley: 

"

Melo disagrees w/the idea that Knicks aren't competing for a title: "People might not believe that but we’re definitely competing for that."

— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) September 30, 2015"

Anthony is in the middle of a two-year playoff drought after reaching the postseason in each of the first 10 years of his career, dating back to his Denver Nuggets days.