Carmelo Anthony cracked a joke with a heckler earlier this week, and the New York Knicks apparently weren’t laughing.
Anthony’s rough night Tuesday included being rejected by the rim and being involved in a spat with a heckler. The loud-mouthed fan seated near the Knicks’ bench was giving Anthony the business, and the New York star eventually heard enough and fired back.
“He kept calling my name, calling my name, saying, ‘You guys suck, you guys suck,’ ” Anthony told reporters after the Knicks’ eventual loss to Portland. “At that point, I was trying to gather myself, and I turned around. All I did was point at (James) Dolan and told him, ‘Look, the owner’s right there. Ask for your money back.’
“He’s calling me and telling me he’s never coming to another game and we suck. Just don’t want to hear that. I pointed to the owner and told him, ‘You deal with that with him. Maybe you can get your money back.’ ”
It didn’t take long for the Knicks to respond. Through the team’s public relations department, Anthony issued an apology. Sort of.
No one actually believes that’s something Anthony crafted — these canned PR apologies are par for the course for anyone — but if you’re thinking to yourself that it’s odd Anthony would be willing to apologize, you’re right.
On Thursday, Anthony told reporters that it was the Knicks who made him apologize. More specifically, it was Knicks owner James Dolan who pushed for the apology.
Anthony has insisted that he wants to stay in New York, and the All-Star has a no-trade clause in his contract that will ensure any escape from Gotham is his decision. If things like this — not to mention all the losing — continue, one can’t help but wonder whether Anthony’s mind will change.
H/t to Deadspin
Thumbnail photo via Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports
