As the New York Knicks are still looking for someone to fill the head coach position for the team, NBA forward Carmelo Anthony wants his opinion to be taken into account before getting a new coach. The NY Knicks president Phil Jackson, however, wants to get a new coach as soon as possible, and it’s pushing to hire Kurt Rambis with a multiyear contract, said ESPN.
Rambis appears to be the favorite to join the New York Knicks as their head coach because of his strong relation with Jackson, considering his latest 8-16 record is far for surprising. Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony expressed he wants to be part of the choosing, and it seems fair enough given that he’s as much part of the team as other players and coaches.
Anthony begs the NY Knicks to consider other options for the job, although he doesn’t said there was anything wrong with Rambis’ work as an interim coach. Nevertheless, Rambis is set to take the job as a full-time head-coach for the Knicks thanks to his performance as a coach with Los Angeles Lakers on previous years.
And having a strong relation with the Knicks’ president doesn’t hurt either. According to ESPN, Jackson is getting too old for the laborious task of coaching an NBA team and could be looking not only for someone to fill the coach position, but also a replacement for him.
“I think it’s just more of seeing how Kurt handles the situation right now, how the team does, how the team responds to Kurt,” said Carmelo Anthony on an interview late last month. “But I think you still have to go out there and at least listen to other candidates out there.”
It’s all about connections for Kurt Rambis
Rambis has gotten up close and personal with Jackson over the years, as he worked as an assistant coach with him when Jackson led the Knicks to win four championship rings. The NY Knicks have already won 11 championship rings, yet Rambis was there only to witness four winnings alongside Jackson.
Carmelo Anthony, however, said he would love to have some type of input in the matter, as he claims there should be more communication among the whole team in the statement released on Wednesday. Even when the forward for the Knicks said he believes players should have a saying in these sort of recruiting, Anthony claimed that when it comes to management level issues, players can’t control it.
Considering that Kurt Rambis scored less than he was expected to as the Minnesota Timberwolves coach for the seasons from 2009 to 2011, Anthony’s doubts on getting him as a coach begin to clarify. It’s reasonable for Anthony to want his voice to be heard in the New York Knicks, yet the decision will ultimately depend on the team’s president Phil Jackson. If Rambis gets the job, it would definitely have an impact on the team’s balance, and it ould be his second full-time coaching season since he coached the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Source: ESPN