The latest addition to Film Annex’s sports coverage is JRSportsBrief, hosted by JR Jackson. His interviews with superstar athletes bring new and interesting opinions to the world of sports. The first JRSportsBrief interview on Film Annex is with New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony. As a basketball fan and former player, I found this interview interesting and noteworthy.
Anthony discusses his involvement with deodorant company Degree for Men, as well as their latest “Do More” campaign. The latest ads feature Anthony in a boxing gym, cross training for his basketball career. As Anthony points out, people anticipated that the ads would show him playing basketball. However, he says, “As athletes, and as a basketball player, you have to find different things that can help you stay on the basketball court. For me, my thing is boxing.” He points out that he’s been a fan of boxing throughout his life and was always fascinated by boxing training montages.
Anthony explains, “Being in the gym, boxing, it puts me over the edge and gets me to that level where you feel like you can’t be beat - like you’re just unstoppable.” He appreciates the competition involved in boxing. As he says, “When I’m in the gym, it’s mano e mano, it’s me versus you.” Part of the appeal of boxing, especially for basketball players, is toughness. Boxing, much like basketball, requires a certain amount of toughness from participants. I think that toughness is one of the most critical features in any sport, but particularly basketball.
One current draft pick that could stand to toughen up, especially around rebounds, is newcomer Erik Murphy. While Murphy’s field-goal stats are nothing to sneeze at at 52 percent, his rebound stats aren’t fantastic. However, as the Bleacher Report article above points out, many new players have been weak on defense, but have improved under coach Tom Thibodeau.
Back at Boston College in the early 1980s, I was fortunate enough to play with Murphy’s father, Jay Murphy, who later went on to play for the Clippers and the Bullets. I may have been slow, but I was tough!
