Photo: J Pat Carter/ Getty Images

Arriving on a new team must be tricky; you’ve got to get acclimated to new surroundings and personalities. Happily it took Carmelo Anthony roughly zero regular season games to get comfortable screaming, “Get the fuck out of here!” at his teammates while gathering rebounds.


This is an old habit of Melo’s. Back in New York, he liked to holler while rebounding, attempting layups, milling around, or doing anything at all, really (via NewYorkKnicks7073):


Anthony was asked today why he screams while cleaning the glass:

“I’ve been doing it for a long time. I think now, just coming with the whole mindset thing and focus and that motivation to want to get back on the rebound tip, and being aggressive on the glass. Just kind of motivating myself. It’s a mind game I kind of play with myself to go out and play and get some rebounds.”

Such is his desire, he’s even been caught yapping at Russell Westbrook for daring to invade his airspace:


This all seems to be done in good fun, though, and it sounds as if healthy competition is part of the joy for Melo. “Playing with someone like Steven who loves to rebound, Russ who steals rebounds [laughing], it makes it fun for me to go out there and challenge myself to rebound the basketball.”

Steven Adams, for his part, wasn’t even aware of what words were erupting from Melo’s mouth, but now that he knows: “I’ll let him get it. He doesn’t have to say those harsh words.”


I look forward to watching Russ and Melo choke each other out at mid-court in January while Adams watches helplessly with head in hands.