Carmelo Anthony spent six-and-a-half seasons with the New York Knicks, but he didn’t feel wanted at the end of his tenure.
The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Anthony during the offseason following a rough finish to his days in New York. The last few years — and particularly the 2016-17 campaign — were filled with problems between Anthony and the front office.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Carmelo said he initially believed in Phil Jackson’s direction. The forward signed a $125 million contract in the summer of 2014, but the relationship soured to the point where he and Jackson spoke face-to-face “maybe twice” last season.
Anthony said he felt Jackson wanted to get rid of him.
“… I was being pushed out. There were things being said about me that I didn’t know where they were coming from. And I still had to go in that gym and play and practice and deal with the media, answer all those questions every day.”
Anthony also shared a neat story about his son, Kiyan, who told the 12-time All-Star he should go to Oklahoma City. The 10-year-old predicted the move before it happened.
And unlike New York, OKC won’t try to push out Carmelo.
Rather, he’ll find a welcoming environment in Oklahoma City. Thunder supporters watched Kevin Durant leave for the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016, and Russell Westbrook — despite his MVP year and being a fan favorite — wasn’t enough to really compete in the playoffs.
Now that Anthony and Paul George have joined Westbrook, however, the Thunder are once again considered a threat in the Western Conference.