Walsh's departure caught Melo off guard

Carmelo Anthony was surprised to hear that Donnie Walsh was stepping down as Knicks president.

The Knicks forward said Monday that he was getting treatment at the Knicks' practice facility Friday when he heard that Walsh will be ending his tenure as team president.

"It was awkward,'' Anthony said when asked how he felt. "I was up in Westchester and someone pulled me aside and told me. It caught a lot of people by surprise, because no one knew what was going on."

Anthony said he has a good relationship with Glen Grunwald, who has been named the team's interim general manager. He also has a close relationship with Mark Warkentien, the former Nuggets GM who joined the Knicks as an adviser on Jan. 30.

"I always try to let the front office do their job," Anthony said. "They get paid the big bucks to run the organization."