New York Knicks News Mix, 6/1/17: J.R Smith, Iman Shumpert on Carmelo Anthony
Mar. 27, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7), shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) and small forward Iman Shumpert (21) smile on the court against the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-USA TODAY Sports

J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert, former teammates of New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, defended him against Phil Jackson’s criticism.

One of the many terrible moves from Phil Jackson was dealing away two of Carmelo Anthony’s former teammates just because he didn’t like them. Neither one of them fit his triangle system.

Anthony played with J.R. Smith for three and a half seasons with the Denver Nuggets before Smith joined Anthony in New York. Iman Shumpert was drafted a year later before him, and Smith were traded two seasons ago to the Cleveland Cavaliers for peanuts.

With both Shumpert and Smith in a better place now, getting ready for their third straight NBA Finals alongside LeBron James, they spoke to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News about the criticism the 10-time All-Star has faced from Jackson this season.

Bondy points out how Jackson took shots at both Shumpert and Smith after the trade in an article published after the trade.

Smith pokes fun at Jackson by making a reference to his “system” after saying Anthony is getting criticized for no reason.

“It’s unfortunate how many jabs (Anthony’s) taken for no reason. But I guess it’s part of the system,” Smith said, taking his own jab at Jackson’s buzzword, ‘system.’

Like Smith, Shumpert believes that the shots from Jackson are unwarranted.

Like most people, he believes that the Zen Master should’ve kept his desire to trade Anthony private.

“I don’t think (Jackson) should’ve been so vocal about (wanting to trade Anthony),” Shumpert said. “That’s just me. I think a lot of stuff is better if everybody just assumes what’s going on and they don’t really know what’s going on. I didn’t like that it was publicized, but what am I going to do? He said some stuff about me too.


Elite Sports NY’s Charlie Hart explores the possibility of New York bringing back former first-round pick Danilo Gallinari.

Elite Sports NY’s James Simpsons thinks the Knicks should embrace the triangle.

Elite Sports NY’s Collin Loring asks why it’s so hard to trade Carmelo Anthony?

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