Carmelo Anthony was one of the NBA’s most lethal scorers in his prime, racking up nine 25 point per game seasons across his near two decade career. His most prolific scoring campaign was during the 2012-13 season for the New York Knicks.
Despite Melo’s undeniable ability to get buckets, former Knicks president Phil Jackson didn’t think he had the makeup of a traditional leader. The 2007 Hall of Fame inductee revealed his brutally honest take on his former player during an interview on the Curious Leader podcast.
“Carmelo, I think, wanted to be a leader, but I don't think he completely knew how to be a leader as a player. And I think that the strength of his personality was intimidating to some of the coaches that were asked to coach the team. And so there wasn't this compliance that has to happen between players and coaches. And as much I tried to interject my own beliefs, I don't think you're close enough to the ground in that situation to really be effective in dictating how things are going to be done.”
Anthony’s time in the Big Apple was certainly tumultuous, with multiple bust-ups with teammates and coaches alike. The biggest knock on the former All-Star’s time with the team, however, was the lack of postseason success.
The Knicks managed just three playoff appearances throughout Melo’s tenure at the Garden: back-to-back first round exits in 2011 and 2012, and a second round loss in 2013. This lack of success, as well as some personality clashes, led Jackson to explore trades. However, a no-trade clause in Anthony’s contract made that basically impossible, and harmed New York’s flexibility.
“I wanted to trade Carmelo and … he's got a no-trade clause that they asked for, but I suggested that if there was a situation—and I asked them to trade, I wanted them to be compliant with it,” Jackson said. “And you can have all your choices that you want but I want you to go along with the idea that maybe your time has come with being with the Knicks. So that was met without compliance.”
While Carmelo’s offensive ability has never been in question, his leadership and failure to lead in the postseason have led to question marks about his legacy.
Follow Us
Subscribe