NASSAU, Bahamas – Tiger Woods was brilliant off the tee, solid with his irons, and made just enough putts to shoot 5-under 67 in the third round of the Hero World Challenge.

Woods, in search of his sixth tournament victory, is ?? off the lead entering Saturday’s finale at Albany. Some thoughts – equally as amazing as Tiger’s accuracy on Friday:

*Did I tell you or did I tell? I told you. Set the over/under today at 67.5 and, once again, it was on the mark. Woods finally solved the dastardly par-4 18^th, making birdie to wrap up his day.

*Tiger took advantage of hole Nos. 11-16 for the third straight day. He played that stretch in a combined 10 under the first two rounds and was 3 under on Friday.

*Did I mention he was brilliant off the tee? Tiger missed the first fairway of the round and nary a one thereafter. Yeah, these fairways may be wide, but 12 of 13 is 12 of 13.

*As for his iron play, Tiger hit 14 of 18 greens in regulation, including seven of eight on the back nine.

*His putting wasn’t sharp early, as he needed a dismal 16 swipes. But despite hitting two more greens on the back, he needed three fewer putts. Because, Tiger.

*Tiger’s best shot of the day was at the par-5 15th, where he hit a flop shot over a bunker to make birdie. He described it as a “high, spanky 60 [degree wedge].” Adding, “This was all-world for me."

*Keep an eye on the par 3s in the final round. Woods missed three of five greens on the shorter holes, compared to only one of 13 on the par 4s and 5s. His lone bogey of the day came at the par-3 eighth, where he didn’t hit a “high, spanky 60.”

*It’s been mentioned several times this week and it will undoubtedly come up again on Saturday. But NO. When he wins this thing tomorrow it WILL NOT count as his 83^rd PGA Tour win. Just his sixth Hero victory.

On Friday, the New York Knicks dismissed coach David Fizdale, according to a report by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Fizdale, who was with the Knicks for 18 months, is the latest to pass through Madison Square Garden's continuously revolving door of head coaches.

It isn't so much that the Knicks have made "bad" hires but rather that they have turned to ill-fitting, quick-fix choices who haven't had enough time to see any transformation show up on the court.

From Mike D'Antoni to Mike Woodson to Derek Fisher to Jeff Hornacek -- and now, Fizdale -- here's a quick look at the Knicks' head-coach graveyard from the past decade:

MORE: How the Knicks got into this mess, in their own words

Mike D'Antoni (2008-12)

Record as Knicks coach: 121-167

Sandwiched between his tenure as mastermind behind the Phoenix Suns' "Seven Seconds or Less" offense, a failed two-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers and his current run with James Harden and the Houston Rockets, D'Antoni was brought in to be the offensive guru for a Knicks team that had just endured a 23-59 season under then-head coach and team president Isiah Thomas.

D'Antoni won a total of 61 games during his first two seasons at the helm but managed to make the playoffs in 2011 after the franchise traded for Carmelo Anthony at the trade deadline. New York was swept by the Boston Celtics in the opening round, D'Antoni's only playoff appearance as coach of the Knicks.

In total, D'Antoni coached Anthony for parts of two seasons before resigning in March 2012 after the Knicks went 18-24 to start the season. D'Antoni told ESPN in 2017 that he "quit" his job with the Knicks after Anthony gave the team an ultimatum.

"[The Knicks] gave away half the team [in the trade for Anthony] and everybody expected us to win a championship; it really wasn't realistic," D'Antoni told USA Today Sports in 2018. "It put a lot of pressure on everybody, and it kind of burst the pipes."

Mike Woodson (2012-14)

Record as Knicks coach: 109-79

The early days of Woodson's tenure were promising. After being elevated from interim coach after D'Antoni's resignation, he guided the Knicks to a 54-win season and a division title, which catapulted New York to its first playoff series win in 13 seasons. In fact, Woodson is the only coach since Jeff Van Gundy (1996-2001) to boast a winning record during his tenure as Knicks coach.

"I think Woody earned the right to be the first person we talked to and turned out to be the only person we talked to," then-Knicks GM Glen Grunwald said in May 2012 after the Knicks officially took the interim tag off Woodson.

"Obviously, there are some great coaches out there that, had we opened up the search, would have been called. Namely Phil Jackson, who was the most successful coach in the NBA history. We felt Woody was our guy and he showed it during the season and in our discussions after the season."

But by the end of the 2013-14 season, Woodson's firing was all but inevitable. The team got off to a 3-13 start, and although the season started to look slightly more promising in March, it was too late. The Knicks went 37-45 and failed to make the playoffs. Woodson's entire coaching staff was also dismissed ... by Phil Jackson, who had signed on as Knicks president one month earlier.

Derek Fisher (2014-16)

Record as Knicks coach: 40-96

Fisher was brought in by Jackson in June 2014. The two had also been together with the Lakers, with Jackson the coach and Fisher playing point guard. The pair had won five championships together, but history would not repeat itself in New York.

Fisher struggled to transition from player to coach, with more than one troubling incident during his tenure, most notably Fisher and Matt Barnes getting into an altercation in 2015 when Barnes found out that Fisher was having a relationship with Barnes' estranged wife. The NBA subsequently opened an investigation into the fight between the two men. On the court, Fisher failed to strongly enforce a triangle offense -- Jackson's preferred style of play.

At the time of Fisher's firing, the Knicks had dropped nine of their past 10 games and were on a five-game losing streak. He was axed after the Knicks' 23-31 start to the 2015-16 season, two years into a five-year, $25 million deal. Kurt Rambis took over as interim coach for the final 28 games and went 9-19.

Jeff Hornacek (2016-18)

Record as Knicks coach: 60-104

Hornacek was hired to be the next steward of Jackson's signature triangle offense. With Kristaps Porzingis budding into a star, the Knicks had playoff aspirations. Things quickly changed.

By the time Hornacek was fired, the organization looked completely different than it had when he was brought in two years earlier.

Jackson was dismissed as the Knicks' team president in June 2017. Longtime face of the franchise Anthony was traded in September 2017. Porzingis suffered a season-ending left knee injury in February 2018 and never played another game for the team.

One month before that injury, Hornacek and veteran center Joakim Noah got into a physical altercation during a practice. As a result, Noah was kept away from the team for the rest of the season.

Hornacek was told his services were no longer needed in a conference room at the Westchester County Airport at 2 a.m.

David Fizdale (2018-19)

Record as Knicks coach: 21-83

The Fizdale era was supposed to be a period of patience.

Knicks GM Scott Perry and President Steve Mills interviewed 11 coaches and decided to appoint Fizdale. At the introductory press conference, Perry said they selected Fizdale because he is a "tireless worker, innovative basketball mind, someone who connects with people ... someone who holds others accountable." In the years leading up to Fizdale's hiring, the Knicks had struggled with both accountability and building an environment that fosters connectivity.

Both Perry and Mills acknowledged that the Knicks had previously been an impatient organization hastily slapping together short-term fixes rather than properly wading through the rebuild process.

Fizdale inherited a team that was fractured. Hornacek's tenure was synonymous with clashes between Porzingis and Jackson, trading away Anthony and Porzingis getting hurt. Fizdale -- who had built a reputation as player-friendly -- was charged with fixing that.

Ultimately, Porzingis was traded. Despite finishing with a league-worst 17-65 record, the Knicks did not get the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft and therefore missed out on the opportunity to draft Zion Williamson. The Knicks also struck out on signing top-tier 2019 free agents Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Instead, the front office zoomed to spend almost $70 million during a 24-hour period to kick off free agency, evaporating any roster flexibility. Once again, impatience prevailed.

League sources told ESPN's Bobby Marks that the Knicks were determined to use their cap space to sign players who could contribute on the court, rather than engage in any deal that would give them future draft assets.

Ultimately, the roster construction proved faulty, the Knicks fell short of their already-low expectations and Fizdale took the fall.

ESPN reporter Malika Andrews contributed to this story.

MORE: How the Knicks got into this mess, in their own words

As the franchise spirals with a ruddlerless roster, the New York Knicks fired coach David Fizdale on Friday, league sources told ESPN.

The Knicks lost eight straight games, including a 129-92 loss to Denver on Thursday night that dropped the team to an Eastern Conference-worst 4-18, which is tied for the worst record in franchise history.

New York also fired top assistant Keith Smart, league sources said.

Assistant coach Mike Miller is a strong possibility to become interim coach, with Pat Sullivan as a possible candidate too, league sources told Ramona Shelburne.

Fizdale was 21-83 in less than two seasons as Knicks coach, and he is owed the remainder of his four-year, $22 million contract.

For weeks, Fizdale has been walking a razor's edge. After a blowout loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 10, team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry conducted an impromptu news conference to express their discontent with the coach and his the Knicks -- a move that sources said created a divide between management and Fizdale that never healed.

Fizdale was hired 18 months ago to be the coach to build a system around Kristaps Porzingis, only to have him traded to the Dallas Mavericks for picks and cap space months later.

He chose the Knicks job in 2018 over several other offers -- including Atlanta, Charlotte and Phoenix.

The other time the Knicks started 4-18, in 2014-15, they went on to lose 65 games -- tied with last season for the worst in the history of the team.

The Knicks next play at home against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday.

WINDOM, Minn. – Kerry Madsen will once again pilot the Big Game Motorsports sprint car next season, marking his fourth-straight season with the Killer Instinct Crossbows backed team.

The team has hired veteran crew chief Cody Jacobs to lead the program. Jacobs most recently worked for Demyan-Rudzik Racing, where he was crew chief for 2010 Knoxville Nationals winner Tim Shaffer.

Madsen most recently worked with crew chief Barry Jackson as part of a partnership with CJB Motorsports. Jackson has decided to focus on his work with CJB Motorsports next season, where he’ll work with driver Brent Marks.

Madsen and the team have earned 18 feature victories during the last three years, including a pair of triumphs in this year, highlighted by winning the Hard Knox Night during the Knoxville Nationals.

OHSWEKEN, Ontario – The NASCAR Pinty’s Series is breaking new ground next year by going dirt racing.

Canada’s only national stock car racing series will visit Ohsweken Speedway on Aug. 18 for 100-lap points event on the three-eighths-mile dirt oval.

“Next year is the 25th anniversary of Ohsweken Speedway,” said Styres. “It will be amazing to see NASCAR stock cars racing around this place. This is a great chance to show the world what a first class facility we have here in Ohsweken.”

The NASCAR Pinty’s Series has sanctioned races from coast to coast with events as far west as Vernon, British Columbia, and as far east as Antigonish, Nova Scotia. Races have been held on paved ovals, road courses, street circuits and on converted temporary airport tracks. This will be the first time the series has raced on dirt.

“Pinty’s has a long history in Motorsports and whether it’s our NASCAR Pinty’s Series venues, Short Track Nationals at both Jukasa in Canada and Bristol in the USA or our investment in Pinty’s All North Racing on MavTV, we know our target audience lives for authentic experiences.” said Anthony Spiteri of Pinty’s Delicious Foods. “Taking the Pinty’s Series to the ever popular Ohsweken Speedway combines the best of the best in teams, drivers and venues. I suspect a few surprises for our fans as well!  August can’t come quick enough.”

“You never know what to expect from a dirt race,” said speedway General Manager Clinton Geoffrey. “We can guarantee this. It will be a spectacle.

“We are proud to enter a multi-year deal with NASCAR and primary sponsor Pinty’s. This is going to further solidify Ohsweken Speedway as Canada’s premier dirt track destination.”

The NASCAR event will consist of practice, time trials, qualifying heats, and a 100-lap feature event to be run at 9 p.m. on Aug. 18.

Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde said the football world must get used to the idea that Lionel Messi will retire in the near future, adding that he will cherish being able to tell people he was able to coach the Argentine.

Messi, ranked the No. 1 forward in the ESPN FC 100, was crowned world player of the year for a record sixth time when he received the Ballon d'Or in Paris on Monday and set alarm bells ringing by saying in his speech "you enjoy these moments more because my retirement is getting nearer."

"It's something natural, it seems normal, Leo is 32-years-old and although I don't think he's thinking about retiring now it's something which is in the air," Valverde told reporters ahead of his side's La Liga game at home to Real Mallorca on Saturday.

"But I don't think we should go crazy about it, we have to look at it naturally. Everyone thinks about retirement when they get to a certain age, but just because he's thinking about it doesn't mean he's going to retire in the next three days."

Valverde added that he may only begin to truly appreciate Messi's greatness in a few years' time, comparing the forward's impact on the game as that of the late Argentine Alfredo di Stefano, who led Real Madrid to five consecutive European Cups.

"I'm aware of how lucky I am but sometimes the demands of everyday life means you are not allowed to enjoy everything. I think you appreciate these things more with time," he added.

"I'm aware that I have the enormous fortune of being able to say in a few years I coached Leo.

"In the same way that older people talk about Di Stefano, we will be able to tell future generations that we lived through the Messi era and some people like me will be able to say we enjoyed it close by."

Messi has scored 11 goals this season for Barca and struck a superb winner in last week's 1-0 win at Atletico Madrid which kept the Catalans top of the standings, locked on 31 points with Real Madrid.

Barca will still be without injured trio Nelson Semedo, Ousmane Dembele and Jordi Alba for the game with promoted Mallorca, who are 17th in the standings and have lost four of their last six league outings.

Other players who will be out following training injuries will be Arthur and Ansu Fati, the latter who recently signed a new deal until 2022 with a buy-out clause of €170 million.

Nelson Mandela Bay Giants 173 for 6 (Dunk 75, Breetzke 64, Wahab 3-19) beat Cape Town Blitz 162 for 8 (Malan 60, de Kock 40, Tahir 2-22) by 11 runs

Nelson Mandela Bay Giants pulled away from Paarl Rocks at the top of the Mzansi Super League points table. The Giants are guaranteed a top-three finish as they lock horns with Paarl on Sunday, a match to determine the table-toppers, who automatically qualify for the final.

The Giants defended 174 against a Cape Town Blitz line-up that was primed for victory at 106 for 2 after 10 overs. But the chase unravelled spectacularly in the second half; they lost 6 for 56 to eventually lose by 11 runs. The loss leaves them having to win each of their remaining games as well as a few other results going their way if they are to finish in the top three.

Highest partnership of MSL 2019

Ben Dunk was part of a record chase on Wednesday against Tshwane Spartans. On Friday, he was at it again with Matthew Breetzke. The pair put on the highest partnership for any wicket at this year's MSL with a 136-run stand, eclipsing the previous best of 104 between Theunis de Bruyn and Dean Elgar for the Tshwane Spartans.

Breetzke's contribution was particularly significant because it was his first half-century in the competition. It came off 32 balls and demonstrated both his power hitting as well as his ability to work acute angles and send the ball through point and fine leg. Dunk went on to score 75, which put him on the top of the run-scorers' table for about 90 minutes before Janneman Malan leapfrogged him back into pole position. Malan leads by five runs.

Highest partnership for the Blitz in MSL 2019

Cape Town didn't get a tournament record, but had their moments when Malan and Quinton de Kock shared their highest stand of this tournament - 85 - to lay a strong foundation. Their half-century stand came up off 25 balls; they walloped 82 in the powerplay. They were particularly severe on Nandre Burger, whose first over went for 22, while both Beuran Hendricks and Chris Morris were plundered for 26 runs in their first two overs.

Death-bowling specialist

With the start they got, the Giants looked set to get 200 at least, but Wahab Riaz and Sisanda Magala ensured they didn't even get 175. Their death-bowling yielded five wickets and cost just 22 runs in the last four overs. The strangle began when Jon-Jon Smuts, eager to pick up from where his openers left out, was out trying to smack Wahab out of the ground. In the next over, Magala almost gave Dunk a freebie, a low full-toss that he miscued to extra cover with Wahab taking the catch. The Pakistan fast bowler couldn't stay out of the action as he picked two more wickets in his final over, castling both Marco Marais and Ryan ten Doeschate as they tried to create room to hit through the covers. Heino Kuhn threatened a last over special when he hit Magala for six but was out caught in the deep as he tried to repeat that again.

Ageless Imran

The turning points in Cape Town's chase came courtesy Imran Tahir, who dismissed the openers six overs apart. Tahir had de Kock caught at deep midwicket off a slog-sweep. Then he returned in the 14th over to bowl Malan with a googly. By then, Jon-Jon Smuts had David Bedingham caught at deep midwicket. George Linde followed suit as he was run out. Cape Town lost steam, with Tahir turning it around for his team. He now has 4 wickets in the competition, one fewer than the leading wicket-taker, Dale Steyn.

And in off-field news

There's been plenty of upheaval with the administration, amid which an injury to a fast-bowling great (yes, another one), had the potential to get lost. But no, we're on the money. Steyn was ruled out with an intercostal muscle strain that has been diagnosed as "low grade", which means he should be back in time for Cape Town's finale against Spartans on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Giants received approval to miss their transformation target and field only one black African player instead of two in this fixture. Injuries to Junior Dala and Onke Nyaku meant they could only play Akhona Mnyaka. They will be expected to meet the target again when they play the Rocks on Sunday.

A day after the Dallas Cowboys lost their third straight game, a testy Jerry Jones addressed the team's issues during a radio interview that was cut off midway after he cursed twice.

Jones, the Cowboys' owner and general manager, told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas on Friday that he deserves his share of the blame for the losing streak that has kept Dallas (6-7) from taking control of the NFC East.

"There's nobody in the NFL that's any more responsible for what's going on out on the field than me," Jones said. "I certainly have that kind of frustration as well."

The interview got off to a rocky start, with Jones telling the hosts to "get your damn act together" and saying he didn't like their attitude. Later in the interview, Jones used the word "bulls---" twice, leading the call to be disconnected after a delay button was used in each instance.

The station's program director confirmed the disconnect, saying Jones did not hang up.

After being reconnected, Jones said he understands the fans' frustration with both him and coach Jason Garrett. But the owner said it may not help to move on from Garrett at this time.

"You've got to remember that when you quit on your coach, then you quit on yourself, because we're all a part of this," Jones told the radio station.

The Cowboys lost 31-24 in Chicago on Thursday night and now have 10 days to prepare for the Los Angeles Rams. Jones said there's plenty of work to be done.

"When you have as many things that were off-kilter as we had last night, you've got a nice litany of places to start to correct," Jones said.

ON AN OVERCAST Tuesday in downtown Los Angeles, Carmelo Anthony strides along a sidewalk in sneakers, black sweatpants and a black hoodie pulled over his head. He's heading toward the Ritz-Carlton hotel, where the Portland Trail Blazers are staying, after making the short trek from shootaround at nearby Staples Center.

His teammates have already departed the arena by bus, but Anthony is slow to leave following a 12-minute media session with a small group of reporters. One day earlier, he was named the Western Conference Player of the Week, his first such honor since 2014.

Winning that award -- after averaging 22.3 points and 7.7 rebounds and helping lead the Blazers to three straight wins -- clearly mattered. "It's deeper than basketball," he said. Then Anthony went for a walk.

Walks are a thing for Carmelo Anthony. He recalls the habit starting as long ago as his 2012-13 season with the New York Knicks. Around 2 a.m. one night, when he was facing the Celtics in Boston during a first-round playoff series, Anthony's mind was racing, and he couldn't sleep.

"We've got to take a walk," he said to his security guard.

Anthony says he's always liked walking, always liked being outside. He enjoyed the late-night strolls around major cities, despite being world famous and 6-foot-8.

"People look at me crazy, like what are you doing?"

Sometimes he's spotted, sometimes not. It depends on the time and place. But in the past year, while Anthony wrestled with his future, his walks became something more.

"Mentally, [the year] was very challenging," he says. "Emotionally, it was very challenging."

"The physical part was going to take care of itself. I was going to stay somewhat fit. I was going to be in the gym. But I think [the walks were] to get my mind right, to get my spirituality and my emotions right, just to get all that stuff right and come back with a clear mind."

Just over a year removed from an unceremonious exile by the Houston Rockets, Carmelo Anthony is back. The 10-time All-Star -- after starting the season without a roster spot for the first time in his career -- is working to find his rhythm on a Portland team that is looking like just the right fit.

On this day in Los Angeles, with a security guard beside him, Anthony is spotted near the Ritz. A man crossing the street detours, taking a straight line diagonally across an intersection toward Anthony. He greets him with energy and excitement. From afar, it's easy to see Anthony repeatedly telling the man: "Thank you."

Then Anthony resumes his stride.

READ: Inside the music and mind of Damian Lillard

AFTER HE MAKES half his shots and tallies 20 points on Dec. 4 against the Sacramento Kings, after his team wins its fourth game in its last five, Anthony is the last player to leave Portland's home locker room.

His stall sits next to CJ McCollum's and across from Damian Lillard's. Lillard sits next to Anthony on bus rides and invited him into his home for Thanksgiving. The franchise star opened up the organization that's built around him to embrace Anthony, an iconic player whom Lillard thought was treated unfairly during his short stint with the Houston Rockets.

To Anthony, whose contract is now fully guaranteed for this season, it's as if Lillard has opened up the whole city of Portland. He talks of how Lillard has wanted him "to be a part of what he created."

"You don't take that for granted," Anthony says.

From afar, Lillard always respected Anthony's talent. He saw how Anthony handled himself with teammates and media, seeing some of himself in Anthony, Lillard says. When Anthony arrived, and the media scrums swelled, and fans mobbed Anthony for autographs at games, and his number 00 jersey started flying off the shelves, and the Moda Center crowd boomed his name during the starting lineup introductions, Lillard saw how Anthony didn't make this opportunity about himself when he easily could've done so.

"Let me fit in with you guys," Anthony told Lillard and McCollum. "I'll figure it out. We'll figure it out. And we'll go from there."

But as much as their support carries him, so too does the fact that what he has here feels real, organic, authentic.

"That's why I'm able to go out there and do what I do and play the way that I've been playing as of late -- because I have a clear mind and I can just play freely," Anthony says. "I don't have to worry about making mistakes and being pulled or just being on a string or being in a box.

"When you can just go out there and be free and play basketball and do what you do best, I think that's where the most joy comes from."

In Houston, Anthony appeared to be an awful fit in the Rockets' switch-centric defense and in an offense aggressively predicated on 3-pointers, layups and free throws. But if Anthony felt restrained in Houston, he says he's felt empowered in Portland -- and that's by design.

"I think you have to give them freedom to do what they do best," says Blazers head coach Terry Stotts.

Stotts has run some sets for Anthony, put him in pick-and-roll action and allowed him to spot up for midrange shots.

"I try not to pigeonhole players," Stotts says. "Melo, he's a Hall of Fame player. He knows his game. He's a smart player. I think it would be crazy to try and put him in a box."

Anthony knows what's happening with the Blazers might not happen with every other team. He calls the fit in Portland "perfect." It's the confluence of so many things coming together -- a long courtship and both sides needing one another at the same time.

"Man, when you feel wanted," he says, "it settles a lot of things."

Back in the bowels of the Moda Center, Anthony lingers in the hallway outside the Blazers locker room, the arena long since quieted after "Let's go, Melo" chants had echoed hours before. He walks toward the exit, but he's in no hurry. He's savoring the small moments more now: being in the locker room, the team meals, joking with teammates, the camaraderie, the belonging.

MCCOLLUM HAD CROSSED paths with Anthony over the summer at various gyms across New York City. And he was struck by how good Anthony looked -- how lean, agile and effective he was against younger players.

"I thought he was in better shape than I'd seen him in previous summers," McCollum says. "And I thought he had the right mentality and mindset to still play in the NBA."

McCollum passed along word to Blazers management, says Trail Blazers president of basketball operations, Neil Olshey, but there wasn't a place in Portland for Anthony -- at least not yet. Still, Anthony's agent, Leon Rose of CAA, and Olshey kept in touch. Rose knew the Blazers had long coveted Anthony, trying to trade for him and sign him in free agency on multiple occasions.

Olshey still believed in Anthony. After an underwhelming, injury-filled start to the season, the spark the Blazers wanted, the inspiration -- it's there in the form of a feel-good story that reverberates throughout the organization. Olshey believes players have responded to Anthony because they know that could be them some day, maybe not far off in the future.

"That's how quickly it happens," Olshey says. "I think they'd like to know that someone would still believe in them."

After Anthony dropped 25 points and eight rebounds in his first Blazers win, Olshey recalled sending Anthony a text: "As a coach and executive, I was on the wrong side of a lot of those games."

For Todd Forcier, the Blazers' sports performance specialist, this was a reunion. By chance or serendipity, Anthony and Forcier were on the same team 17 years ago. Back then, Anthony was a freshman forward for the Syracuse Orange, and Forcier was in his first year as the team's strength and conditioning coach. Forcier heard Anthony was special, and he had been given a mission from then-Syracuse assistant coach Troy Weaver: "You gotta get him in shape."

Anthony lifted with Forcier in the early mornings several days a week and stayed after practice for intense conditioning drills. After leading the Orange to a title, Anthony declared for the 2003 NBA draft. And seven years later, Forcier returned to the NBA, joining the Blazers in 2010.

As the NBA seasons ground along, Forcier tried to stop at visitors locker rooms to see players he worked with at previous stops, and he would always greet Anthony. When Anthony faced tumultuous seasons in New York, Oklahoma City and Houston, Forcier remained adamant that the narrative about Anthony was wrong.

"He is not what the media or the franchises or whomever made him out to be," Forcier says.

Then, one November evening, Forcier's phone buzzed. And five days later, there they were, together again in New Orleans, where forever ago, the Orange had played in the NCAA Final Four and won it all. Only now, Forcier has a different purpose, one that he says he's honored to undertake.

"I'm here to make sure I can maximize his time," Forcier says.

IN THE EARLY evening of Nov. 14, Anthony weaved his way toward a six-bedroom, 10-bathroom Beverly Park mansion located in one of the most exclusive communities in all of Los Angeles. It's a prestigious, guard-gated enclave accessible through multiple checkpoints armed with 24/7 security -- a private haven of billionaires and celebrities that has been dubbed LA's richest neighborhood.

Anthony would be joined by nearly 20 executives from the finance, technology and entertainment fields -- all industries that Anthony dabbled in during his NBA career, planning to make them his full-time focus once his career was over.

And, at that moment, it was over.

After a disastrous 10-game stint with the Rockets almost one year earlier, Anthony had, by this point, planned to retire from basketball following 16 NBA seasons. But as his car neared this monument to opulence, he received the news that a deal was done: The Blazers were signing the 35-year-old.

Anthony initially planned to attend a boutique wine dinner, where guests would enjoy a five-course tasting menu and a six-vintage vertical tasting of Domaine du Péga, a highly-respected producer from France's Southern Rhône Valley.

But the tenor of the evening changed, becoming a celebration of Anthony.

As soon as he arrived, he headed straight for WNBA star Candace Parker and his longtime physical therapist Fabrice Gautier. All three toasted with glasses of Dom Perignon. He sat near the center of a long table on a covered patio, and after the host gave a short speech about the dinner, Anthony and his good fortune were recognized again.

While word spread further of Anthony's return, Parker commended Anthony for how professionally he handled himself during his sabbatical. In March of this year, Gautier visited Anthony at his Manhattan apartment and could see doubt wearing on the forward -- doubt in himself, perhaps, but more so in his place in the NBA.

"I'm done with this," Anthony said to his wife, La La. "I don't want to do it."

Still, La La and other family members kept pushing him forward.

"Melo, you're better than this," they said, according to Anthony. "This is not your fault. We're not going to let you give up."

Eventually, Anthony found a form of peace: "I stopped the guilt trip. I stopped asking myself why. I stopped asking myself what happened."

He still trained in New York and L.A., working on his body, trying to stay lean. But in every prior offseason, Anthony knew he'd be training for a certain team, a certain system, a role. Now, nothing awaited him.

"When you're just getting up in the morning and have to force yourself to go to the gym," he says, "I don't think people understand how hard that is and how difficult that is."

Calls came and went -- more than he can remember. The season started, the game moved on and so had he. But then the Trail Blazers opportunity arrived.

"Basketball," Anthony says, "pulled me back."

Saturday

Champions Cup

Munster v Saracens

Ulster v Harlequins

Northampton v Leinster

Ospreys v Racing

La Rochelle v Glasgow Warriors

Challenge Cup

Cardiff Blues v Pau

Bayonne v Scarlets

Bristol v Stade Francais

Toulon v London Irish

Leicester v Calvisano

Worcester v Calvisano

Sunday

Champions Cup

Gloucester v Connacht

Sale v Exeter