Looking back, maybe the tells were all there: the nervous laughter, the don’t-worry-about me proclamations. Carmelo Anthony always did seem a little more OK with what had happened to him — what had happened to his knee — than seemed normal.
He never once betrayed doubts he’d resume his career during those post-op moments to provide status reports and progress updates. He talked about embracing his new hobby as an amateur GM. He joked about needing a vacation after so many years and so many basketball miles logged. It worked, too. He could fool you.
Turns out he was fooling himself, too.