Melo signals he'd be willing to come off bench for Rockets

Entering his 16th NBA season, Carmelo Anthony may be ready to put the good of his team ahead of himself. When asked during Houston Rockets media day Monday if he'd be willing to come off the bench, Anthony didn't dismiss the notion as he has in the past.

"Whatever I have to do to help this team win a championship, that's what's going to be done," he said, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Upon landing with the Oklahoma City Thunder a year ago, Anthony literally laughed off a question about playing in a reserve role. What ensued was his worst season in the NBA, as he hit career lows in scoring, assists, and field goal percentage.

Now at age 34 and with another contender in Houston, Anthony appears prepared to embrace a second-unit role. In addition, he says he's ready to start fresh with Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni, whom he didn't see eye-to-eye with when the pair were together with the New York Knicks for parts of two seasons.

"When Mike was trying to run his system in New York, the timing wasn't right," Anthony said, per the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen. "We both acknowledge that. I'm glad he was able to understand that. This is our second chance to rewrite our story."