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A glass-half-full look at 'Melo failing to set a new world record for high-fives

Dan Devine
·Senior NBA writer

I missed this while on my way out of town with my family for a long weekend, so I'll beg your indulgence for reaching back into The Long Long Ago of last Thursday night, but man, it was pretty fun to watch Carmelo Anthony try to high-five 130 people in 30 seconds on Nickelodeon's 2015 Kids' Choice Awards:

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The New York Knicks star was attempting to set a new Guinness World Record for most high-fives delivered in a half-minute:

Anthony was, however, unsuccessful in his attempt:

You have to imagine that the eight-time All-Star is kicking himself for pulling up with a few seconds still left on the clock. You've got to know time and score, 'Melo. Situational awareness is pivotal in late-game situations. Have we, as a society, truly already forgotten Chris Webber's teachings?

While much of the immediate response to Anthony's shortfall focused on his off-court effort resembling his on-court exploits — 12 NBA seasons, no championship rings, only two trips past the opening round of the playoffs, and now yet another disappointment! — there is a glass-half-full way to view this. Multiple studies have shown a correlation the amount of time NBA players spend touching members of their team — whether by chest-bumps, fist-pounds or, yes, high-fives — and their teams' success on the court.

"It looks like at least in these really specific team settings, touch communicates cooperation and trust between people," Michael Kraus, a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, and co-author of one such study told LiveScience back in 2010. "So in our study, touching is highly correlated with cooperative behaviors."

Steve Nash deployed the tactile tactic early and often through his two-MVP run with the Phoenix Suns. The Dallas Mavericks were significantly more touchy-feely during the 2011 NBA Finals than their opponents, the Miami Heat; Dallas went on to win the series, four games to two.

"Put this all together, and we can say that touch makes us feel better by releasing soothing hormones and communicating a sense of trust and compassion," wrote Mic's Jack Fischl back in 2013.

A soothing sense of trust and compassion sounds like just what the doctor ordered for a New York club looking to bounce back from the worst season in franchise history. On paper, the 2015-16 Knicks look more talented and stable than last year's model, thanks to the signing of veterans like Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo and Kyle O'Quinn, the addition of first-round picks Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant, and — hopefully — a return to health for Anthony, who was significantly limited last season by a left knee injury that required season-ending surgery.

Nobody expects the Knicks' steady-but-not-thrilling summer to vault them back into the playoffs after two dire seasons, but a return to something resembling competence could be in the offing ... especially if Anthony can build on his Kids' Choice Awards showing, show the leadership for which many have called and invite his teammates to slap the hand of their 'Melo, their man.

Hat-tip to SB Nation's Michael Katz.

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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

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