Carmelo Anthony keeping his options open

Carmelo Anthony, at the center of swirling trade rumors, said Monday at the Denver Nuggets’ media day that he never asked to be traded.

“I’m leaving my options open right now,” said Anthony, who will be a free agent after the upcoming season. “At the end of the season, I’ll sit down with my team, I’ll sit down with the Nuggets, and we’ll talk about it. This has been a long summer. I’m just excited to get back to the court.”

Anthony turned down a three-year, $65-million extension from the Nuggets during the off-season.

Over the weekend Denver tried to trade the three-time All-Star and was reportedly close to a megadeal that would have sent Anthony to the New Jersey Nets. Anthony, 26, has averaged 24.7 points a game in seven seasons with Denver.

LeBron James reported for work with his new team and said he didn’t expect Miami Heat teammate Dwyane Wade to defer to him.

“I wouldn’t have come here if he was going to be a different player. I don’t want that. I want the same D-Wade that I competed with for seven years,” James said.

James came under fire for his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers to join Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, and for turning his choice into a nationally televised special.

James also insisted he is beyond the elbow injury that limited him in the Cavaliers’ second-round playoff demise against the Boston Celtics.

The Golden State Warriors made it official when they announced Keith Smart as their new head coach, replacing Don Nelson.

Smart, 46, is best known for his game-winning shot in Indiana’s victory over Syracuse in the 1987 NCAA championship game. He has been a Warriors assistant coach for seven years.

The 70-year-old Nelson had coached the last four seasons at Golden State. But the Warriors were a disappointing 26-56 last season, finishing with the third-worst record in the Western Conference.

GOLF

Furyk claims No. 5 spot in world rankings

FedEx Cup champion Jim Furyk climbed one spot to No. 5 in this week’s world rankings.

Furyk won the Tour Championship on Sunday to capture the $10-million playoff bonus and a first-place tournament check of $1.35 million. He knocked PGA champion Martin Kaymer out of the No. 5 ranking.

Tiger Woods remained No. 1 for the 277th consecutive week and was again followed by Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Steve Stricker. Paul Casey

ETC.

Zenyatta continues to lead in poll

Undefeated mare Zenyatta continues to lead the NTRA National Thoroughbred Poll as she prepares to make her next-to-last career start Saturday.

Scheduled to race in Saturday’s Lady’s Secret Stakes at Hollywood Park, Zenyatta received 13 first-place votes and 171 points to keep her place at the head of the poll. The 6-year-old champion will start the Lady’s Secret Stakes as a final tuneup for November’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs.

Multiple stakes winner Blame remains in the second position with five first-place votes and 159 points. The 4-year-old colt will also start Saturday in Belmont Park’s Jockey Club Gold Cup. Blame is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Classic as well.

Third-seeded Jelena Jankovic , the 2009 runner-up, was an easy second-round winner, and 12th-seeded Maria Sharapova, the defending champion, was sent packing in the opening round at the $2-million Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.

Longtime Japanese crowd favorite Kimiko Date Krumm stunned the former world No. 1 Sharapova, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.