Above: Carmelo Anthony

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Carmelo Anthony has long sought to become more than an NBA superstar.

The New York Knicks star took a step forward in that quest this week, announcing that he had purchased the Puerto Rico FC soccer team in Bayamon.

The soccer team will play in the upstart North American Soccer League.

Puerto Rico’s previous Bayamon-based NASL team had folded after suffering from financial difficulties.

“I am proud to announce that I am bringing the NASL back to Puerto Rico,” said Anthony, who is of Puerto Rican descent through his father. “Thank you to everyone who helped make this dream a reality. Puerto Rico this is our team!”

Puerto Rico FC is set to start play in 2016. It will play at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium.

“For me, it’s more about bringing that global awareness back to Puerto Rico,” Anthony said. “Everyone in the world wants to visit Puerto Rico. And there’s a lot of Puerto Ricans scattered throughout the world, and in America alone. I want to connect to those pockets of Puerto Ricans in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Orlando. That’s something I want to tap into.”

Anthony has not made a secret of his soccer passion of late; he traveled with the New York Cosmos, also of the North American Soccer League, for their historic game in Cuba earlier this month.