Carmelo Anthony: Wait and see about word on Knicks coach
Carmelo Anthony was a pregame guest during batting practice at the Mets-Dodgers game at Citi Field on Friday night. Wearing a half-Yankees/half-Mets NY logo hat, the Knicks forward shared pleasantries and hugs with Mets such as Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard, Curtis Granderson and even Jerry Blevins.
One thing Anthony wouldn’t share were his thoughts on presumptive new Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek.
“Is it announced? I don’t know if it’s announced,” he said. “I don’t think I’m allowed to be talking about that. I’ll talk to you when that time comes.”
The time might come in the next week, when the Knicks are expected to announce Hornacek’s hiring.
Their fans are anxious for the deal to be completed, and so is the team’s biggest star.
“I think everybody is,” Anthony said. “See what’s going to happen. See if it’s official.”
Anthony said during the regular season that he hoped team president Phil Jackson would give him input on the coaching search.
Did that happen?
“Nah,” Anthony said. “I let them deal with that one.”
Anthony said he thinks the Knicks will ask for his help in order to lure free agents to New York with whatever salary-cap room they have available on July 1.
“Pretty sure,” he said. “When that time comes, we’ll do the work.”
Anthony, who once told (oddly enough) WebMD magazine that baseball was his first love, watched from in front of the first-base dugout as the Mets took batting practice. Anthony was a first baseman before he became a basketball star.
“I could have gone to school for it,” he said of baseball.