Carmelo Anthony on how his urgency differs from LeBron James: 'He's won'

DALLAS -- Carmelo Anthony wouldn't be satisfied if his career ends without a championship, but acknowledges he's facing a different kind of urgency than friend LeBron James.

"I'm in a different situation than him," Anthony said Wednesday about James and his recently stated urgency to win a title now. "He's won. He's just coming off of a championship, so for him to say he'll be 33 and doesn't have time to wait, he must have a different type of plan, a different goal, a different mindset of winning now and taking advantage of it."

James made his comments while venting to the media Monday night following the Cleveland Cavaliers' fifth loss in seven games. He pushed for the Cleveland front office to upgrade the defending champions' personnel, requesting in particular that the Cavaliers add a playmaker.

"I don't know what we got to offer," James said. "I just know me, personally, I don't got no time to waste. I'll be 33 [next] winter, and I ain't got time to waste. That's what I'm talking about."

Anthony also told reporters he's not thinking about playing with James.

"I do think he would want me to play with him. I don't think he wouldn't," Anthony said. "But I don't know if that comment is about me. I don't think I'm the only playmaker in the NBA. ...

"I don't think about it. It's not something I think about right now, as far as me going to play with him. I don't think about that. I can't think about that right now."

James has won three championships. Anthony, who turns 33 in May, has won only three playoff series in his career and advanced to the conference finals only once. Anthony acknowledged that his career, which has featured nine All-Star appearances, would not feel complete without a title.

"Me personally, I wouldn't say I would be satisfied with it," Anthony said after the 20-26 New York Knicks' shootaround. "It would be something that I'll always think about -- shoulda, coulda, woulda. But I don't know how to answer that when my career is [not] over with. It's hard to answer that right now when you're in the midst of your career."

The Knicks are in jeopardy of missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. Yet Anthony, who has a no-trade clause, has repeatedly made it clear that he has no immediate intention to leave New York.

Anthony expressed that sentiment during a brief recent meeting with team president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills. He said he has had no communication with Knicks management since that meeting, which he estimated lasted between five to seven minutes.

Asked if he got the sense that management wanted him to stay with the Knicks, Anthony said: "It was a quick meeting. That's all I can say."

Anthony did not rule out leaving the Knicks to maximize his chances to win a championship at some point. He is due to make $26.2 million next season and has a player option for $27.9 million in 2018-19, the final season of his contract.

"I don't think it would be called kind of chasing a ring," Anthony said of potentially leaving to join a contender. "I think it would be looking at opportunities and situations, if and when that time [does] come. I think it would be a collective effort on all fronts, not just mine. I think it would be a collective effort on the organization and understanding the direction that they want to go."