The New York Knicks struggled to find success while Hall of Famer Phil Jackson served as team president, and his strained rapport with fellow legend Carmelo Anthony did not improve the overall situation.
Jackson’s upcoming book, “Masters of the Game,” a conversational read on the 75 greatest players through the lens of the legendary coach and Hall of Fame scribe Sam Smith, delves into his relationship with Anthony and reveals that he gave owner James Dolan an ultimatum as a result of the tension.
“Dolan said to me, ‘Are you going to get run out of town by the media?’ I said, ‘I know who the media is; that doesn’t affect me,’ ” Jackson said in the Carmelo chapter of his book. “But Dolan felt it was too much. He said, ‘I don’t want you to go through it. I know what it’s like to deal with these people.’ I said, ‘Unfortunately my relationship with Carmelo is kind of busted, and if he’s going to be here, it’s probably best that I go.’ ”
Jackson and Anthony differed in terms of play styles. The Knicks’ franchise cornerstone did not buy into Jackson’s famed triangle offense, which would have entailed more ball movement than he was comfortable with.
“I had this meeting with Dolan, I said, ‘I don’t want Carmelo back on the team; we’ve got to find a way to trade him,’ ” Jackson said in the book. “I said, ‘Let’s sit with [Anthony’s agent] Leon Rose and explain we’re not going to win a championship. Carmelo wants a championship; he wants to be on a team that has a chance, and he should be; he’s a Hall of Famer.’ ”
The Knicks have largely recovered from this era of futility, but Jackson’s new book may provide fresh insight into why the franchise scuffled during his tenure.
