New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony Tired Of Talking About Phil Jackson

New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson has been in the news on a consistent basis over the past few weeks. Carmelo Anthony is tired of hearing about it.

The New York Knicks have two of the most recognizable names in NBA history attempting to build a contender. Team president Phil Jackson is doing so in an executive role and six-time All-NBA honoree Carmelo Anthony is leading the charge as a player.

The relationship between those two titans of the sport has always been rather enigmatic, but the latest developments imply that there’s something of a divide.

For those who missed it, Jackson recently appeared on CBS Sports Network. During the interview, he said that Anthony could play the Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan role for the Knicks if he continued to move away from his ball-hogging tendencies (h/t Ian Begley of ESPN New York).

Unfortunately, all that appears to have gotten through to Anthony via the media is that Jackson called him a ball hog. Per Ian Begley of ESPN New York:

Jackson’s comments weren’t meant to be an insult, but some have questioned why he’d raise said issues on a public forum.

The Knicks are off to a 12-10 start, which is the latest in a season they’ve been two games above .500 since 2013. Anthony has been New York’s leading scorer through 22 games, but Jackson hasn’t loved what he’s seen from the 2013 scoring champion.

Anthony may be playing well individually, but Jackson appears to fear the sustainability of his ISO-heavy play in the fourth quarter.

In all fairness, Jackson isn’t the only person who has criticized Anthony for this issue.

Jackson’s comments about Anthony were a reflection of what Knicks fans have been saying throughout the 2016-17 season. Lest we forget, large portions of fans at Madison Square Garden have booed Anthony for holding the ball and stalling the Knicks’ ball movement.

Jackson is the team president and not a fan, however, which is likely why Anthony took offense to the comments being made public instead of remaining behind close doors.

Here’s hoping Anthony and Jackson meet to discuss this issue before it becomes bigger than it needs to be.