According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, who played for the New York Knicks before being traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers, believe Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony will stay in the Mecca despite Jackson’s efforts to trade him.
In what may be a never-ending New York Knicks saga, Anthony is at odds with president of basketball operations Phil Jackson. Jackson, whose infamy in basketball circles starts with the 11 rings he’s won coaching Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, has been critical of Anthony’s isolation-heavy style of play and his team’s resistance to the triangle offense.