Kids interview Knicks star Carmelo Anthony

We met Knicks star Carmelo Anthony when he was hosting his movie night with a group of kids in Manhattan recently. We are big fans and we are so glad he was not traded!

Is it hard to go from state to state playing games?

It is. It gets very complicated traveling, staying in different hotels. Sometimes living out of a suitcase, it can get tough.

How difficult is it to have so many coaches and try to form a real relationship with them?

That is better than some of the questions I get from the regular reporters. I can only speak from my own experience. It comes down to just knowing the game of basketball and then what you want to expect. The different coaching styles and then being able to buy into it.

Did you get to design your own shoes?

Yes. For the past six or seven, I have been involved in it.

Since you have been in New York what has been your favorite memory, both on and off the court?

Off the court? Doing community stuff. This is one of the things I look forward to.

What advice would you give to young kids who are playing basketball?

The No. 1 thing is to work hard. I think also that at a young age, kids try to do too much. I think it is all about getting into the gym and being in the gym. I think you need to be confident in who you are as a person and as a player. It is also getting to know your game and putting time in. But it is practice, just like anything else.

How has the addition of Derrick Rose changed the team?

It gives us more firepower out there. He is the type of player who can create for himself and also create for everybody else. He knows how to win and he has been in different situations than we have been in and he is a former MVP.

Did you have an idol when you were a kid? If so, who was it?

My idol? I think it was more my brothers and friends that I was hanging out with. Those were the only people who were my idols when I was growing up.

We are sure that you were recruited by a lot of colleges when you were younger. Why did you choose Syracuse?

I was always a Big East fan. I wanted to play in the Big East and I always wanted to go to St. John’s, but St. John’s didn’t recruit me that year. But I am also a big [Jim] Boeheim fan and Syracuse was one of the top schools I wanted to go to.

What was it like moving from Denver to New York? Did you like changing teams?

It was difficult. It was really something to go from Denver, where it is a lot more laid-back and with a slower pace, and then you come to New York where everything is so quick. Everything is so fast-paced here in New York, so it was a major adjustment.

What is the best and worst part about being famous?

This [Carmelo laughs as he points at all the cameras pointed at him]. That’s the worst part! You are always in the spotlight. Sometimes you find it kind of difficult to enjoy who you are. Sometimes you just want to be with your family and you always have to take those things into consideration. The best part is I get to meet new people and have different experiences that I would not have had without being in the situation I am in.

What do you do if you don’t get along with a teammate? Does it affect you on the court?

It can. If you don’t get along with a teammate, my best advice would be to talk it out. Maybe the best thing you can do is go to a lunch or a dinner and then the two of you can talk it out and put it behind you. It can affect you a lot.

In your career, what do you view as the best accomplishment? Winning a national championship or winning an Olympic gold medal?

I am on the hot seat right now! I would say winning the gold medal, but I would really have to say winning the national championship because I did that in my first year. Nobody expected that to happen so I would say the national championship.