It’s safe to say that Phil Jackson was a failure as New York Knicks president. But did he face opposition within his own front office?
Roland Lazenby, who has written a biography of Jackson, cited insiders who said that while Jackson’s disagreements with Carmelo Anthony got all the headlines, it was really general manager Steve Mills who impeded some of Jackson’s efforts.
Many perceived Melo as Phil's rival in NY. But certain insiders thought it was Mills, who was seen as obstructing some PJ initiatives.
— Roland Lazenby (@lazenby) July 11, 2017
It’s important to consider the source here. As a Jackson biographer, there’s every chance that Lazenby is hearing from people close to Jackson, who are going to be eager to paint Jackson’s Knicks tenure as better than it was — or, at the very least, filled with failures that were not all his fault. Still, it’s worth considering, particularly with the knowledge that Mills is a James Dolan company man who preceded Jackson as a powerful member of the organization.
Some other potential evidence for this report? Anthony still reportedly wants out of New York despite Jackson’s departure. Maybe it wasn’t just Phil.
