National Basketball Association

'Melo admits surgery likely 'my only option' for bum knee

Published Jan. 12, 2015 10:27 p.m. ET

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While the Knicks seem to win about as often as the Jets nowadays, there is no shortage of soap-opera storylines at Madison Square Garden.

And no story is bigger than that of the health of Carmelo Anthony's left knee, and ultimately his availability for the remainder of what is now a league-worst 5-35 season. From shutting it down to taking it one game at a time, there have been plenty of cliches lobbed the public's way on 'Melo's status.

On Monday, the Knicks' best player spoke most candidly about his health . . . and it sounded a lot more like shutting it down is in the works than it did one game at a time.

"I'm pretty sure at some point that's going to be my only option," Anthony said following practice, according to ESPN. "But until that time I can't sit out. ... I feel like if I can go out there and play some more and continue to play, then I'm going to do that. I'm pretty sure there will come a time where I have to make that decision to sit out and take the proper procedure and get what I need to be done."

Anthony, No. 5 in the NBA in scoring at 23.9 points per game, has missed the past six games -- and been inactive for the past five -- because of soreness in the knee.

On Saturday, new Knicks president Phil Jackson said that Anthony felt it important to play in Thursday's game against Milwaukee in London, as well as the All-Star Game on Feb. 15, which the Knicks are hosting. But he also alluded to a real possibility of surgery for the 30-year-old 12-year veteran.

"I think for 'Melo the last resort is surgery, as it should be for anybody," Jackson told the media in his "mea culpa" news conference during which he took responsibility for the disastrous season. "Surgery is basically to repair and to correct. He's got a situation that could exacerbate, could get difficult, could be better with the surgery, but he wants to really try it again and see where he's going to be at.

"The next period of time, we'll assess that and we'll sit down and talk to him about it. I know the All-Star Game [at Madison Square Garden] is important for him down the road in February. I know this trip to London will be important for him to play. He sees possibilities of helping the team get back and be better."

Also on Monday, Anthony was asked how important it really was to play with the injury for a team in the midst of such a lost season.

"The easiest thing for me to do right now is just to call it quits and just give up and say I'm going to go take care of what I need to take care of right now," he told ESPN. "But I want to be out there with these guys, with my teammates, regardless of what's our record, regardless of how we're struggling on the court. I feel like if I have an opportunity to go play I'm going to go play."