Phoenix – After being named to USA Basketball’s training camp roster, Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony made a point to make a phone call to one person in particular to say thanks. That influential person was USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo.
Anthony got a bad rap after he didn’t see eye to eye with U.S. Olympic coach Larry Brown during the 2004 Athens Games and played sparingly. Anthony worried the past could affect him when selections were announced for USA Basketball team this year. But Colangelo overlooked the past after meeting with Anthony last November in Washington and on March 5 named him to be one of 23 Americans competing for 12 coveted spots for the Japan World Championships.
“I was just really wanted to tell him thanks,” Anthony said. “Thanks for letting me get another shot.”
Colangelo, also the Phoenix Suns’ chairman and CEO, said: “He’s had an incredible year. I thought he was focused when I saw him early in the season. And I encouraged him to stay focused, there are a lot of people out there you want to make believers. I think he’s done a really good job in that sense.”
Coby Karl appreciates Boykins
Boise State guard Coby Karl joined his dad, Nuggets coach George Karl, here Friday night and will be with them until he returns to school April 3 after spring break. The Boise State guard had surgery last Monday to remove a cancerous lump from his thyroid. Nuggets injured guard Earl Boykins also had a similar surgery in 2003 and gave Karl some advice. Boykins, who is in Cleveland dealing with a family matter, could not be reached for comment.
“I haven’t talked to him for a while, but what he said was very positive,” said Karl, 22, who expects to be cleared to play again in about a week. “He said it was a lot easier than he thought it would be.”
Footnotes
George Karl is hopeful that Boykins will return before the season ends. Boykins is expected to be out for the season after suffering a left hand fracture March 15 at Indiana. “He’s a little more super-human and courageous,” Karl said. “As soon as I think he can dribble the ball with that left hand, he’ll want to play.” … Forward Eduardo Najera has missed four straight games with right knee soreness and was uncertain when he’d play again. Karl said he tried some unconventional lineups against the Suns that he could use against them in the playoffs. They included a two point-guard backcourt of Andre Miller and Howard Eisley; a three-guard lineup of Miller, Greg Buckner and DerMarr Johnson and a small lineup of Miller, Buckner, Johnson, Anthony and Marcus Camby.
