New York Knicks: Carmelo Anthony Is A True Leader

Changing His Game

The 2015-16 NBA regular season was one of the most momentous campaigns of Carmelo Anthony’s career. Though the team results weren’t desirable, Anthony played in the most well-rounded manner of his career.

Anthony’s willingness to defer, as well as his effort on defense, were unlike anything we’ve seen from the 13-year veteran before.

In 2015-16, Anthony set a career-high in assists per game, assists per 36 minutes, and assist ratio. Bigger than the numbers was the fact that Anthony, long known as a volume scorer with tunnel vision, was more willing to trust his teammates than ever before.

It was a perfect example of what Phil Jackson recently praised him for: leading by example, per Charley Rosen of Today’s Fastbreak.

"“Carmelo isn’t going to yell or throw chairs,” says Jackson. “His style is much more subtle. For example, during the summer he took a bunch of his teammates to Puerto Rico so they could get to know each other in a relaxed, non-stressful and non-competitive situation. Carmelo also leads by example — practicing hard, preparing for games and then playing hard. Lou Amundson has the same quality. Willis Reed and Michael Jordan were also very effective leaders-by-example.”"

Yes, Jackson did compare Anthony’s leadership style to that of Michael Jordan and Willis Reed.

Not only was Anthony more willing to trust his teammates, but he had what may have been the best defensive season of his career. Per NBA.com, Anthony held opponents to 42.1 percent shooting from the field and 30.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Anthony will need to come back just as strong in 2016-17, but his willingness to transform his game and become more of a team player is the ultimate sign of his leadership.

Next: Developing A Voice