Carmelo Anthony Backs Amare Stoudemire: Says New League Possible

NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 24: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks looks on against the Boston Celtics in Game Four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals during the 2011 NBA Playoffs on April 24, 2011 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Carmelo Anthony said he believes a player-run professional basketball league is "very possible." The Knicks star said Nike might want to get involved if the players do create their own league.

Add Carmelo Anthony to the growing list of New York Knicks who believe a player-run professional basketball league is feasible.

"It's possible," Anthony told Zach Lowe of Sports Illustrated. "It's very possible, with all the relationships and connections players and agents have."

Anthony, who endorses Nike, stopped short of saying Nike would sponsor the hypothetical league, but thought the powerful sports apparel company might want to get involved.

"At the end of the day, with all the guys Nike and the Jordan Brand have, they are very powerful. If we was to come to them and ask them, we're pretty sure they'd be into it," said Anthony.

Yesterday, Anthony's teammate Amare Stoudemire voiced his own intentions to join a player-run league if the lockout continued for too long.

"Obviously we're trying to ... get this lockout resolved," Stoudemire told ESPN. "We want to play NBA basketball. But if it doesn't happen what are we gonna do? We can't just sit around and not do anything. So we have to figure out ways to now continue to play basketball at a high level against top competition and have fun doing it. So, that's the next step."