“Championship is the only thing that’s on my mind”—Carmelo Anthony wanted to achieve it for the New York Knicks real bad. But by the time of retirement, the 10x All-Star had no option but to make himself “at peace” with what he achieved. Now, he might have failed to secure a championship for the Knicks, which would’ve been his career’s first, but he sure hasn’t failed to rejoice in the first WNBA championship for New York.

On Sunday, the original WNBA franchise lifted its first-ever championship after beating the Minnesota Lynx in a hard-fought Game 5 of the Finals series. And Carmelo Anthony was right there to witness the two teams push the game to overtime. Only for New York Liberty to beat Lynx by 67-62. Now, the fact he desires something similar for all the other teams in New York speaks well about his love for the city.

“This is incredible right here… Liberty just set the tone for New York. So all you New York teams… Get y’all sh*t together. Cause the liberty set the tone, baby…” Melo said in a quick interview during Liberty’s Game 5. It has been 50 years since a New York basketball team brought home the title and 12 (New York Ginats) since any other. With one ticked off, the focus definitely lies on the Knicks. 

But before moving on to the obvious choice, let’s not forget that the Yankees, too, are about to enter a historic matchup with the LA Dodgers in the World Series. If you’ve been following MLB, you’d know the Dodgers reached the World Series recently after beating the Mets in the National League Finals series.

Now, although the Dodgers emerged victorious the last time they met New York in the World Series, the Yankees have won 8 of the last 11 contests. And they’d want to maintain the fervor of celebration that Liberty has started in New York. And with Knicks also making significant changes this off season, expectations are high for NBA fans too. But how sure are the Knicks stars themselves?

Josh Hart feeling “lost” about his role in the Knicks

Hart isn’t exactly feeling great heading into the regular season with the Knicks. After a shaky preseason where he’s managed just 2 points over five games, it’s understandable why he’s feeling a bit lost. While the Knicks went 4-1 in those warm-ups, Hart’s scoring dip is a red flag. Something that has the Knicks star himself wondering what his role will look like moving forward.

“I’m lost,” he said after the last preseason game against the Wizards. “There’s a couple of days before Boston. So whether that’s trying to get a rhythm with that starting unit or we give somebody else a look and my role changes and comes off the bench.” If you’ve followed Hart’s journey with the Knicks, you know this isn’t like him.

But things are different now, especially with the addition of Mikal Bridges. And let’s not forget Karl-Anthony Towns joining the roster. It’s a lot of change for Hart, and his preseason performances suggest he’s still trying to figure out where he fits. Now the preseason may have gone well despite all of this, but the real test starts with the regular season. It’s to be seen if the team can follow what Carmelo Anthony desires from all teams of New York.