Carmelo Anthony has been the target of Phil Jackson’s media attacks so far this season, despite the fact that the Knicks and Melo have been playing well. Last week, Jackson said that Carmelo holds the ball too long in the triangle right before the Knicks went out and got smacked around by LeBron and the Cavs. Following that game, a disgruntled Melo said he “didn’t want to talk” about Phil, then sent out a cryptic Instagram post.
New York is currently on a west coast swing and after practice yesterday, Melo revealed that he has sought advice from Kobe Bryant, who was also a target of Jackson’s jabs.
From the New York Daily News:
“He’s going to talk, nobody can stop that,” Anthony said. “Just try not to read into it that much. “(Bryant told me to) keep on going. Keep your head up and move. Don’t read into it that much.”
Carmelo and Phil had a short meeting to clear the air:
Anthony said he and Jackson spoke prior to practice at the University of Southern California, calling the pow wow “short.” A source told the Daily News it lasted only about two minutes. And when Anthony was summoned outside the gym by Jackson, players teased him with, “Oooooh, you got called to the principal’s office,” according to a source. In other words, this wasn’t some great unifying experience.
Nonetheless, it stemmed from Jackson’s comment on TV that Anthony holds the ball too long and stalls the offense. Anthony wanted to know Jackson’s motivation. “That was my question was, ‘Why?’ Regardless of the context of the interview or conversation, just, ‘Why?’” Anthony said. “Regardless of what you said, why every time my name come up? He explained that.”
Phil is notorious for writing tell-all books once he leaves town and when Melo was asked whether he thinks his current situation with Jackson is going to be featured in a book one day, Melo responded with a pretty great line:
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be in his book,” Anthony said. “I’ll be in a couple books.”
