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Knicks Fans Unite Against Phil Jackson's Carmelo Anthony Claim

New York Knicks Nation fires back at Phil Jackson's controversial take on his tenure.
Jayesh Pagar|
Nov 10, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks president Phil Jackson watches the second quarter between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Nov 10, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks president Phil Jackson watches the second quarter between the New York Knicks and the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

Phil Jackson's newly published book "Masters of the Game" has reignited the debate over his disastrous New York Knicks tenure. The Hall of Fame executive is now blaming Carmelo Anthony for organizational failure, claiming their relationship was the breaking point.

However, Knicks fans aren't buying his revisionist narrative and are firing back at Jackson's deflection of responsibility.​

Did Phil Jackson's Triangle Offense Clash With Carmelo Anthony's Isolation Play?

Jackson's relationship with Anthony crumbled over fundamental basketball philosophy clashes. Jackson wanted to implement his championship-proven triangle offense emphasizing ball movement and teamwork.

Anthony, however, preferred isolation-heavy plays with the ball in his hands to maximize scoring opportunities. During a 2016-2017 season conversation, then-coach Jeff Hornacek told Jackson that Anthony "wanted the ball."

Jackson wrote in his book: "Unfortunately my relationship with Carmelo is kind of busted, and if he's going to be here, it's probably best that I go." The Knicks missed the playoffs all three seasons of Jackson's tenure, finishing 80-166 overall.

Fans Reject Jackson's Excuse

Knicks supporters are calling out Jackson's attempts to shift blame away from himself. One die-hard fan pointed out Jackson's own organizational failures.

"You came in to the organization and traded Chandler off of his Defensive Player of the Year season, JR as 6th man of the year, and you was trying to force that triangle offense bullshit while signing your old ass players cause they needed jobs."

This reflects frustration over Jackson trading defensive anchor Iman Shumpert and JR Smith for minimal return.​

Another fan emphasized Jackson's actual role in failure: "Phil Jackson was hired to lure Steve Kerr to the Knicks. Anything past that was a bonus. When that fell through, we were left with a geriatric who gave away Iman Shumpert and JR Smith for nothing."

They argued the real problem stemmed from owner James Dolan, with Leon Rose proving a better alternative.​

Supporters of Anthony pushed back harder: "I hate Phil Jackson with a passion. Like I hate that man like I know him in real life. He instantly came and ruined Melo and the Knicks." Many fans acknowledged Anthony's flaws but highlighted Jackson's terrible drafting, poor system implementation, and damaging player personnel decisions.

One user summarized: "What a POS! Your drafts were terrible! Your system was terrible! Your undermining was top tier though."​

The overwhelming consensus among Knicks Nation remains clear: Jackson's failures were systemic and self-inflicted, not solely Carmelo's responsibility.

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Jayesh Pagar
JAYESH PAGAR

Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content.

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