Carmelo Anthony blasts Phil Jackson over saying he “doomed” the Knicks in his new book [VIDEO]
The former All-Star fires back at Phil Jackson’s new book claims, exposing the tension that defined the Knicks’ lost decade
Carmelo Anthony has officially responded — and he didn’t hold back.
In a fiery new clip from his 7PM in Brooklyn podcast, the ten-time NBA All-Star addressed Phil Jackson’s recent book Masters of the Game, in which the Hall of Fame coach-turned-executive blames Anthony’s “resistance” to the triangle offense for the New York Knicks’ struggles during their 2014–2017 run.
Anthony, visibly annoyed but composed, used his own platform to push back on Jackson’s revisionist version of history — one filled with incense, triangle talk, and what he calls “fake zen energy.”
“I sat in your office with candles lit,” Anthony recalled. “Now you wanna talk some dumb stuff? Instead of sitting your behind in the stands, come down here and coach. But the team wasn’t good enough because you don’t coach sorry teams.”
The clip, shared widely across social media by 7PM in Brooklyn and reposted by @FullCourtPass, has racked up over 430,000 views and nearly 3,000 likes in 24 hours — reigniting one of the NBA’s most polarizing player-executive feuds of the past decade.
Inside the Fallout: A Power Struggle That Defined a Lost Era
Phil Jackson was hired in 2014 to fix the Knicks. By 2017, his 80–166 record told the real story.
In his new book, Jackson paints Anthony as the barrier between his system and success — claiming the star forward “refused to evolve” and prioritized scoring over teamwork. But Anthony, who shouldered six losing seasons and endless tabloid heat, says the narrative leaves out key truths.
“We tried that triangle crap,” he said bluntly. “We ran it for 30 games. It ain’t work. I told them it wasn’t about the system — it was about the pieces.”
Anthony says he wasn’t opposed to Jackson’s philosophy; he was opposed to the hypocrisy. “I love the triangle — it’s beautiful basketball. But you gotta have the players to run it. You can’t force Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah into that.”
He also accused Jackson of managing from a spiritual distance rather than engaging like a real coach. “Man, we had three conversations the whole time he was there,” Anthony said. “He’d send tweets, talk about zen, and then blame us when it fell apart.”
“You Don’t Coach Sorry Teams” — Melo Calls It How He Sees It
Anthony’s frustration boiled over when addressing Jackson’s decision to critique him years later in a tell-all.
“He’s still trying to sell books off that,” Melo said. “If you really wanted to teach, you’d come down to the court. Don’t act like you above it all. That’s weak.”
It was a cathartic moment for Knicks fans who lived through the dysfunction. Under Jackson, New York traded away key pieces like J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, drafted a raw Frank Ntilikina over Donovan Mitchell, and forced a mismatched roster to run a dated offense in a league shifting toward pace and space.
Anthony bore the brunt of the backlash — and now, nearly a decade later, he’s reclaiming the narrative.
Why This Moment Resonates Beyond Basketball
Carmelo’s rebuttal isn’t just about X’s and O’s. It’s about respect.
Jackson’s reputation as the “Zen Master” has long been tied to success alongside generational talents like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O’Neal. Anthony’s point is that greatness can’t be meditated into existence — it has to be coached.
When he said, “You don’t coach sorry teams,” it wasn’t just an insult — it was an indictment of leadership without accountability. Melo was calling out the NBA’s double standard: players get labeled selfish when they speak up, but executives can rewrite history from behind a book deal.
Fans Pick Sides: “Melo Keeping It Real” vs. “Phil Has the Rings”
On X (formerly Twitter), reactions split right down the middle.
Supporters praised Anthony’s candor, with fans arguing Jackson’s ego crippled the Knicks from the start.
“He ain’t lying. Look what happened when Phil didn’t have Jordan or Kobe — he folded just like Belichick,” one user wrote.
Others defended Jackson’s résumé.
“Phil Jackson is one of the greatest winners in sports history. Melo’s attitude is why he never won,” another replied, echoing the sentiment of critics who still see Anthony’s isolation-heavy style as a barrier to success.
Still, the majority of Knicks fans seem to side with Melo. Many see him as a scapegoat for a franchise that hasn’t been functional since the early 2000s. Also, one that failed to surround him with real support.
“Phil broke up a playoff team and blamed Melo. That’s the truth,” wrote one user, summing up the popular stance across Knicks Twitter.
A Decade Later, the Knicks Have Finally Moved On — But the Scars Remain
Carmelo Anthony’s Knicks years were a rollercoaster of hope, heartbreak, and dysfunction. He gave Madison Square Garden countless iconic moments, from his 62-point game to a scoring title in 2013. But his era also symbolized the chaos of a franchise stuck between eras. Additionally, Jackson’s presidency only deepened the divide.
Today, both men are retired from basketball. But their feud reflects a larger generational clash in the NBA — between players who demand agency and executives who still believe control equals leadership.
In Melo’s mind, it’s simple: if you’re going to preach accountability, live it.
“You don’t get to light candles, quote Buddha, and then blame the players,” he said on 7PM in Brooklyn. “If you can’t teach the triangle to the team you built, that’s on you.”
Conclusion: Melo’s Legacy, Rewritten on His Own Terms
Carmelo Anthony didn’t need Phil Jackson’s approval to validate his career — but this moment proved he’s finally done letting others tell his story.
His message was clear, sharp, and personal. After years of quiet diplomacy, Melo is pulling back the curtain on one of the most infamous front-office experiments in NBA history.
And while Phil Jackson will forever be remembered as a coaching legend, Anthony’s defiant truth-telling may be what finally closes the book on their feud — literally and figuratively.
When Melo said, “You don’t coach bad teams,” it wasn’t just a clapback. It was closure — the sound of a star finally reclaiming his narrative, one mic drop at a time.