Carmelo Anthony: I haven’t spoken to Phil Jackson
Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks looks on during a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Jan. 16, 2017. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Carmelo Anthony said he hasn’t spoken to Knicks president Phil Jackson or anyone in the front office about his future in recent days, and he reiterated that he wants to remain with the team.
“I think I’ve proven that,” Anthony said Monday after a 108-107 loss to the Hawks. “I don’t have to speak on that. I think I’ve proven that over the years, day in and day out.
“Regardless of what’s going on that’s surrounding this team, any talk, anything, I’ve still showed that by me being here, coming to work, being professional, got to answer you guys’ questions every day, got to deal with you all, I still remain positive about that. I don’t think I have to prove that to anybody.”
Anthony’s future again became a topic after he commented on a critical Web story written by Charley Rosen, a Jackson confidant. Rosen wrote that Anthony “has outlived his usefulness in New York.” Anthony indicated that he believed that Rosen was speaking for Jackson and said Sunday, “If that’s what’s coming from that side, then I guess it’s a conversation that we should have.”
Rosen had a new post Monday, saying these were his opinions, not Jackson’s.
After Monday’s game, Anthony, who has a no-trade clause in his contract, said he doesn’t need to speak to Jackson about it. If Jackson wants to talk to him, Anthony said he’s around.
“My clarity is playing ball right now and getting some wins,” he said. “If they want to come talk to me, I’m around them guys every day. I don’t want this to be kind of going back and forth between me and the front office, management, because it’s really nothing.
“I responded to an article that I read. That was that. There’s nothing between myself and management at this point.”
Jeff Hornacek said before the game that he’s not concerned about Anthony being affected by this. Anthony scored 30 points against the Hawks, although he missed a short jumper just before the buzzer that would have given the Knicks the lead.
Hornacek said he usually tells players when they hear their names in trade discussions to ignore them. But in this case, he intimated that Anthony should ignore this story altogether.
“That’s something we always talk in general terms, about stuff out there in the paper,” Hornacek said. “But this one I don’t feel the need to go talk to Carmelo about it.”
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.