Carmelo Anthony: We 'can always use Phil Jackson' with Knicks
Phil Jackson won a title as a player with the Knicks in 1970 and '73. (Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
Knicks star Carmelo Anthony on Wednesday gave the strongest confirmation to date of Phil Jackson's rumored deal to work in New York's front office this season.
Speaking to the media today before the team plays in Boston against the Celtics, Anthony was quoted as saying he was told the Hall of Fame coach "will be coming on board" with the Knicks, though acknowledged it's not official just yet, according to a report from Peter Botte of the New York Daily News:
"I still don’t have a lot of the details, all the details. Have I heard? Yeah, I heard he will be coming on board, not official yet. You can always use Phil Jackson inside an organization, his philosophy, his mindset, his resume, what he brings to a team, what he brings to an organization. That goes without even saying, so we’ll see how that plays out."
The news comes after a report late Tuesday night from Marc Berman of the Post that said Jackson, 68, and the Knicks have agreed to the terms of the deal "in principle" via a verbal agreement Jackson gave to the franchise on March 9. It's not confirmed what position Jackson will take, but rumors over the past week have indicated he would become the Knicks' President of Basketball Operations. Berman's report on Tuesday echoes that belief, saying that a league source confirmed that Jackson will have "president" in his title with the organization.
According to media reports, Jackson was hesitant to take the deal without the reassurance that Anthony, who will become a free agent in July, would return to the Knicks. As Matt Dollinger of The Point Forward pointed out, Jackson's deal is expected to be announced by next week.
