New York Knicks: The Five Harsh Realities Of The Current Situation

No. 4: The Rebellion Is Hypocritical

As previously acknowledged, the New York Knicks have every right and reason to form an open rebellion against team president Phil Jackson. The system is polarizing, his treatment of the star has been unjust, and the situation only seems to be getting worse.

True as that all may be, it’s quite hypocritical for a team that couldn’t play for one another to suddenly come out and rebel as one.

Kristaps Porzingis called the players out on more than one occasion for the very issue of not playing for one another. Per Marc Berman of The New York Post:

"“We have to do a better job as players,” Porzingis said. “We have to find solutions because it’s frustrating knowing what we can achieve and not getting there. This whole thing doesn’t come together and work as it’s supposed to, then us as players, we’ve got to give more and figure it out ourselves a lot of times."

Carmelo Anthony, Brandon Jennings, and Kristaps Porzingis all publicly blasted the Knicks’ lack of effort at different points of the 2016-17 regular season. The comments were spread apart by months, yet the lack of effort persisted.

Jackson undoubtedly served a role in the players’ low morale, but the 2016-17 team consisted of a group of individuals who played without pride or consistent effort.

For fans who pay top dollar for tickets and merchandise, it was insulting to see the players consistently play without a sense of pride—a criticism made by the players themselves. It wasn’t as though they were living in blissful ignorance, either; they outright stated what happened.

The players have every right to rebel against Phil Jackson, but the fans deserve an apology of their own if the accountability game is being played.