Carmelo Anthony told The Denver Post on Monday that the reason his friend punched an autograph seeker on his behalf last month was because the victim threatened Anthony's life on his cellphone.

Anthony said that on March 18 he and Rahchine Craig, 30, were about to enter a 7-Eleven convenience store on the 1800 block of South Sheridan Boulevard at about 3:30 a.m. when they were approached by two men. Anthony said the men made comments about Anthony's car before asking for an autograph.

Anthony said after he and Craig turned down the autograph request, the men began speaking obscenities to them. Once in the store, Anthony added that one of the men, Brandon James Herrera, got on his cellphone and told someone to come to the store to "kill Melo." Upon hearing the threat, Anthony said he returned to his car to get inside and check on his fianc?e, La La Vazquez. After some time passed without a return by Craig to Anthony's car, Anthony re-entered the 7-Eleven, where he learned that Craig punched Herrera.

About what Herrera said into his cellphone, Anthony stated: "When we walked in there (Herrera) said, 'Come around here, man, we need you to kill somebody. We need you to kill Melo. We need you to take care of this business for us.' And this and that. I'm like, 'What are you talking about?' Look, anything could have happened. We were still in 7-Eleven and anyone could have come there.

"Something could have easily happened, and then what? People are going to say I'm in the wrong place at the wrong time. You never win in situations like this."