Yahoo Sports 
Carmelo Anthony is afraid of 'a cat,' and potentially multiple cats
Carmelo Anthony took a brief break from DECLARING HIS COMMITMENT and having his leadership questioned by former teammates on Monday to visit Facebook's New York offices and participate in a rapid-fire question-and-answer session. 'Melo got through 18 fan questions in a minute, and while he hedged his bets on "Jay Z or Nas?" — he went with "both," like someone who's still not sure if he thinks "Ether" was better than "Takeover" — he was unequivocal on one major issue.
[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]
"What animal are you most afraid of?" Anthony asked himself. "... A cat."
Anthony joins Memphis Grizzlies mauler Zach Randolph among the ranks of basketball stars terrified of cats. Three more and we've got an NBA All-Star team that, at long last, finally couldn't beat Kentucky.
Whether Anthony's fear rises to the level of legit ailurophobia, with its attendant heart palpitations, nausea and throat/chest tightness, is unclear. What is clear, however, is that his fear's consistent — he offered a similar answer to this question more than three years ago to the Knicks Kid Reporters.
During his 2012 disclosure, 'Melo specifically identified "alley cats." And on Monday, he specifically noted "a cat." Not all cats: a cat. So which alley cat is fearsome enough to strike into the heart of the Brooklyn-born, Baltimore-bred eight-time NBA All-Star?
I think there's only one reasonable answer:
After all, who among us wouldn't turn into a shook one upon coming into contact with a "street smart cat who spends most of his time trying to turn a dustbin over onto people's heads?" I don't blame you for your concern, 'Melo. Keep your head on a swivel as you walk through those alleys.
- - - - - - -
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!
Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.
