The New York Knicks were a flash in the pan of sorts back in 2012 thanks to Jeremy Lin and Linsanity, which paired well with Carmelo Anthony and head coach Mike D’Antoni.
But a little-known rumor after the season suggested D’Antoni walked away from one of the most prestigious positions in sports because Anthony went to management and slammed home an ultimatum—him or me.
D’Antoni made the decision easy, per a new ESPN The Magazine feature by Tim Keown:
“I just went in and quit,” he says.
“Don’t say ‘quit,'” Laurel says. “I hate that word. You resigned. You walked away. Mutually walked away.”
Mike rolls his eyes and turns to me.
“I quit,” he says.
At the time, many rumors suggested Anthony was irritated with how the Knicks were becoming Lin’s team and he didn’t like the fast-paced offense. In hindsight, the team was one of the most exciting the Knicks fielded in a decade or more.
And how times change—D’Antoni moved on and might win a coach of the year award while directing James Harden and the Houston Rockets. Houston is a favorite to win the title as you’ll see finding NBA Championship predictions here.
Anthony, meanwhile, is in a bitter standoff with Phil Jackson, his dreams of rebuilding the Knicks into a contender as his career winds down in serious jeopardy.
When it comes to “what could’ve been?” stories, the more that comes to light, the more the 2012 Knicks climb the list.
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