Carmelo Anthony is one of the best players to ever wear a New York Knicks jersey. Anyone that disagrees needs to look at the body of work Melo put up in New York. While they only won one playoff series in that time, that was mainly to do with a lot of off-court issues. One of the major ones being the relationship Melo had with Phil Jackson.

Jackson was an executive for the Knicks and didn’t enjoy his time with Carmelo as much as he had his time with Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. He recently criticized Melo’s leadership, to which Iman Shumpert has responded. Shumpert was on the Knicks with Jackson and Anthony, but would be traded to Cleveland, where he won a championship in 2016.

‘Don’t Think He Knew How To Be a Leader’- Phil Jackson Reflects on Time With Carmelo Anthony With New York Kicks

“I think that Melo is his own version of a leader. I think we all get caught up in ‘how this leader does it’ and ‘how that leader does it’. It’s why we can’t compare certain players when we want to look for the greatest ever. You can’t compare them because of their leadership role and how they attacked it.

“Melo was one of those guys that I’ve never felt so safe, as far as I didn’t start off this way, but as the games went on, I started relaxing. This dude will really take the blame for everything. Like there was times I would be like ‘why don’t you just say what happened?’.

“Why you taking the bullets? Just say it man, maybe they’ll play harder.”

Carmelo Anthony: Unfairly criticized?

To blame Carmelo Anthony for the struggles by New York in the mid-2010s is not fair. He did his best on the court. While he did not assimilate and sacrifice as much as he could have, he took the Knicks to the playoffs on multiple occasions.

However, Melo is not completely responsible for the blame. The time with the team was chaotic for a constant turnover in coaches, executives, and players. There was no solid supporting cast that stuck it out with Melo for his run, with players constantly being moved.

Trending

Shaq Warns Lakers Locker Room Of Jeanie Buss Game Plan If Darvin Ham & Co Fail Vs Nuggets

April 24, 2024 09:42 PM EDT

Heat Injury Report: Latest On Jimmy Butler, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson Ahead of Game 2 vs Celtics

April 24, 2024 02:46 PM EDT

“So Rigged”: All Hell Breaks Loose as Jamal Murray Forces LeBron James’ Lakers Into Bitter Embarrassment

April 23, 2024 06:21 AM EDT

Marcus Takes Eyes Away From GF Larsa Pippen to Acknowledge Father Michael Jordan’s Talladega Victory

April 22, 2024 09:33 PM EDT

What Happened to Kenny Smith’s Legs? Unfolding the Sad Truth Behind TNT Host’s Dodgy Knees

April 22, 2024 08:05 PM EDT

Get instantly notified of the hottest NBA stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

The Knicks had drafted a potential superstar in Kristaps Porzingis and still couldn’t pair him with Melo well enough. Porzingis would eventually force his way out of New York, further adding fuel to the fire that is the Knicks front office.

Whether Melo affected the Knicks is immaterial, as the team is completely new now and has a bright future ahead.