New York Knicks: Spike Lee Will ‘Pack Bags For’ Phil Jackson
New York Knicks super fan and director Spike Lee did not mince his words when asked if he would prefer Carmelo Anthony or Phil Jackson to remain with the Knicks.
The New York Knicks have been a circus in recent years. But, with Phil Jackson as the ring leader, the Knicks have reached new levels. The most recent happenings is the Carmelo Anthony trade saga.
Jackson is reportedly pushing for Anthony to be traded by the February 23rd NBA Trade Deadline. The only problem for Jackson is that Anthony has a no-trade clause and a 15 percent trade kicker, so he has all the power.
Anthony can choose where he is traded, if at all, and gets a raise for agreeing to do so. That is something that Jackson agreed to put into the contract and definitely regrets at this time. Moving Anthony will be a difficult task but Jackson is determined to get it done.
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Everyone has an opinion on what the Knicks should do with Anthony. The latest to give their two cents is Knicks super fan and director Spike Lee.
Lee is as loyal as they come for Knicks fans. He is constantly seen sitting courtside no matter how bad the team is performing. Prior to the Knicks’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, Lee was asked if he would prefer Anthony or Jackson to stay with the Knicks. His answer made his feelings very well known.
"“I’ll pack Phil’s bags for him,” Lee told Tencent-ESPN’s Steve Zeng“I think I still believe in Carmelo, but Phil Jackson is making it very difficult for him,” Lee told Tencent-ESPN on Wednesday."
Lee is not the only person who believes in Anthony. With all of the mind games and tactics Jackson has used, there are a lot of people that are beginning to side with Anthony. The latest salvo that Jackson launched came earlier in the week.
Jackson referenced an article written by Kevin Ding at Bleacher Report to take his latest shot at Anthony. He probably hoped that this would further crush Anthony’s spirit to the point he would want to leave and waive his no-trade clause.
It would seem that the tactic backfired as much as possible. Anthony was not swayed by Jackson taking shots at him, instead, it made him more determined to remain in New York and stick things out.
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This is a saga that will not go away. At the end of the day, there is really nothing to it unless Anthony says so. If he does not want to leave, he won’t leave. Jackson has no leverage in this situation and Anthony does not seem likely to budge. There is still two weeks until the NBA Trade Deadline so you can expect news to continue flowing in until the deadline passes.