New York Knicks: Mike D'Antoni Quit Because Of Carmelo Anthony's Ultimatum
Jan 18, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni and small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at Madison Square Garden. Phoenix won 91- 88. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Mike D’Antoni told ESPN that New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony issued an ultimatum that caused the coach to resign.

The truth finally comes out regarding Mike D’Antoni’s suspicious exit from the New York Knicks in 2012. It was an ultimatum from star player Carmelo Anthony that caused the coach to resign.

The recent profile piece on D’Antoni, published by ESPN, contained the following unattributed line via Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News: “Anthony said the team needed to choose between him and D’Antoni.”

“I just went in and quit,” D’Antoni said.

Bondy recalls D’Antoni’s interview on Adrian Wojnarowki’s podcast when the coach spoke about the rumors of players being resentful towards Jeremy Lin. He also recalled having trouble talking Anthony into moving to the power forward spot.

On the podcast, it sounded like D’Antoni had put the past behind him when it came to Anthony.

“(Carmelo and I) don’t have a bad relationship. I speak to him. He’s a good guy,” D’Antoni, who coached Anthony as an assistant with Team USA, said last year on The Vertical podcast. “But I had one vision that I wanted him to play one way. He wanted to go the other way. I couldn’t get to my way.”