'Point-A-Minute Melo' in Best Shape Ever

DENVER -- If you Google Gunnar Peterson, you get articles such as "How Kim Kardashian Got Thin'' and "Want J. Lo's Body?''

But what about Melo's body?

Kardashian proudly notes she dropped from 128 to 113 pounds thanks to Peterson, the Beverly Hills, Calif., celebrity trainer. Meanwhile, Denver forward Carmelo Anthony says he dropped from 240 to 228 with the help of Peterson.

But Kardashian isn't leading all NBA players in the preseason in scoring. Neither is Jennifer Lopez.

"I hope Melo,'' said guard Chauncey Billups, when asked who he thinks is in better shape, Lopez or Anthony, his Nuggets teammate averaging 23.6 points in seven preseason games.

Anthony actually has been working with Peterson on and off since he was a rookie in 2003-04. But Anthony spent about 1 ½ months last summer in the Los Angeles area, and he made a point of seeing Peterson at least five times a week for sessions of an hour or more.

Anthony, whose body fat dropped during the offseason from 8.6 to 7 percent, says he's in the "best shape of my career.'' Peterson doesn't disagree.

"Melo was very serious,'' Peterson said. "I would say at the end of workouts, 'I'll get back to you about a time for tomorrow.' But, if I hadn't have gotten back to him by 6:30 or 7, he was texting me and saying, 'When are we going to work out?'''

Peterson has made a name for himself over the years training such Hollywood celebrities as Sylvester Stallone, Hugh Jackman, Bruce Willis, Kim Basinger, Penelope Cruz, Jennifer Connelly and Halle Barry. But you get the sense perhaps he considers it a bigger challenge working with athletes.

"You can make a good body a great body with lighting, but you can't make a good player a great player with lighting,'' said Peterson, whose other NBA clients include Baron Davis, Danny Granger and Carlos Boozer, has NFL clients such as Tom Brady, Reggie Bush and Matt Cassel and also has worked with boxer Mike Tyson and tennis stars Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles.
"As far as my health, as far as my mental state, I'm ready. Everything about me. My energy. My confidence. My swagger. Everything is on another level right now."
-- Carmelo Anthony
Peterson said Anthony's great condition starts with Anthony and with Nuggets strength and conditioning coach Steve Hess, with Peterson saying, "it doesn't get much better than Steve.'' During the summer, Hess worked with Anthony when he was in Denver and flew to meet with him in his hometown of Baltimore. When Anthony was in Los Angeles, Hess conferred with Peterson on training work and diet.

When Anthony returned to Denver in September, Hess was a happy man.

"He's in unbelievable shape,'' Hess said. "I've never seen him like this. He's leaner, harder, faster, stronger. (Anthony's) just done an unbelievable job over the summer.''

Anthony's teammates did a double take when he showed up in Denver before the start of training camp.

"I called him 'Slim' because he'd lost so much weight,'' said guard Anthony Carter. "And now I see him coming in early (before practice). You'd never see him come in early before. But he's coming in and he's up there lifting and getting his shots and everything.''

With the Nuggets coming so close to the NBA Finals last season, losing 4-2 in the Western Conference finals to the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony said that motivated him to come back in the best shape possible. He also said it helped that, for the first time since 2005, he didn't spend the summer playing for USA Basketball.

"I got a chance to rest my body,'' said Anthony, who couldn't have been resting too much considering all those workouts with Peterson. "That was the most important part... I ate right. I stuck to my diet. I lifted more (than ever before).''

Anthony, 25, regularly saw Peterson, 47, at his 5,000 square-foot state-of-the-art gym off Santa Monica Boulevard. There's no signage, with Peterson saying that's "to keep the paparazzi away.''

"We did a lot of core work and we did a lot of stamina work,'' Anthony said. "I was just constantly being in the gym I was trying to get my elbow right (the right one that hampered Anthony last season) and just do full body work.''

When Peterson discusses what the two did, he gets rather technical. There's lots of talk about lunges and lateral work.

Let's just say it worked.

After scoring 28 points in 31 minutes in Thursday night's 106-89 loss to the Lakers in Anaheim, Calif., Anthony finally is averaging less points than minutes played (24.0) in the preseason. Anthony, who had 137 points in 137 minutes before that game, chuckled when it was suggested he should be known as "point-a-minute Melo.''

One more preseason game remains Friday against the Lakers in San Diego, but there's no guarantee Anthony will play. Anthony, who rolled up 45 points in just 24 minutes in an Oct. 11 preseason win over Indiana in Beijing, has been ready for a while for Denver's regular-season opener next Wednesday against Utah.

"As far as my health, as far as my mental state, I'm ready,'' Anthony said. "Everything about me (is feeling better). My energy. My confidence. My swagger. Everything is on another level right now.''

With the possibility of looking really good in wedding photos, Anthony could have further incentive to keep his weight down next summer. Anthony said his marriage to his longtime fiancée, MTV personality LaLa Vazquez, is "coming soon'' and "could be'' as soon as next summer.

But whether Anthony is wearing basketball shorts or a tuxedo, it won't be surprising if articles soon crop up such as "How Carmelo Anthony Got Thin''' or "Want Melo's Body?''

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.