New York Knicks: Kyle O’Quinn weighs in on media, Phil Jackson
New York Knicks big man Kyle O’Quinn provided invaluable insight into the media and the firing of team president Phil Jackson.
The 2017 NBA offseason marked the dawn of a new era for the New York Knicks. The organization committed itself to building for the future by parting ways with its embattled team president and all but publicly committing to a youth movement.
Although most acknowledged the firing of team president Phil Jackson as a positive for team morale, it wasn’t as easy a decision as it may have seemed.
The working theory is that Jackson’s public feud with small forward Carmelo Anthony was the reason for his dismissal. It escalated into Kristaps Porzingis skipping his exit meeting and expressing his discontent with the mistreatment of the players.
According to Marc Berman of The New York Post, Kyle O’Quinn wished Jackson the best, but acknowledged that his actions played a role in New York crossing the point of no return.
"“It’s tough to see anybody go, but I knew a change was going to be made,’’ O’Quinn said Wednesday at the Orlando summer league. “We didn’t know what. We knew something had to be done. That’s what they chose to do. I wish Phil the best, of course. In any organization, no matter who it is, you hate to see somebody go.”"
O’Quinn continued by calling out the media for blowing things out of proportion, all the while acknowledging that a change needed to be made.
"“You could just sense it. We had a great team last year and things — the media, you blew things up a bit. I think the only way to get that negative stuff out is something had to be done. Not saying Phil was negative, but something had to be done to let the situation be at ease.’’"
Some in the media may take issue with O’Quinn’s statement, but when a player is saying it, it’s worth exploring the validity of the statement.
One of the turning points in Jackson’s relationship with Anthony was The Zen Master’s appearance on CBS Sports. During said appearance, Jackson commented on Anthony’s tendency to break the Knicks’ rule that states players aren’t supposed to hold the ball for more than two seconds.
What followed were headlines from major media outlets that claimed Jackson called Anthony a ball-hog—a statement that he never actually made.
Asked a basketball question by a Hall of Fame basketball player, Jackson responded with a basketball answer—an answer that Anthony publicly stated he never personally watched or heard.
Instead, he was told by the media what was said—and not all media outlets portrayed Jackson’s comments in an accurate manner.
Unfortunately, Jackson did himself no favors by continuing the public feud with Anthony into the depths of the 2016-17 regular season. Between critical tweets and incessant trade rumors, fans were given material that enabled them to take sides.
At a time when everyone should have been on the same side, fans and teammates became divided between the player and the executive.
Must Read: The Pros and cons of potentially trading for Marcus Smart
One can only hope the New York Knicks discover a sense of peace and serenity in 2017-18.