Mike D’Antoni

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D’Antoni made the announcement after a meeting on Wednesday with the Knicks braintrust—James Dolan, Madison Square Garden chairman, and Ernie Grunfeld, interim general manager, Yahoo! Sports first reported.

Two of D’Antoni’s assistants, his brother Dan and Phil Weber, are also stepping down. Mike Woodson will take over the head coaching duties on an interim basis. He’ll be assisted by Kenny Atkinson and Herb Williams, according to the New York Times.

Just a few weeks after the Knicks became the hottest story in basketball with the emergence of point guard Jeremy Lin, the team has struggled to maintain the high-octane offense and suffocating defense that carried them to seven consecutive wins in February.

For most of that stretch of “Linsanity”-fueled excitement, Anthony was out of the lineup due to injury. The million-dollar question was whether the team could produce the same results with their franchise player in the lineup. Anthony excels playing a half-court offence rather than the fast-break style favored by D’Antoni.

Now, with D’Antoni’s departure, it’s pretty clear that Knicks brass have more faith in Anthony’s star power than in the former coach’s run-and-gun approach.

One source who reportedly talked to D’Antoni told the Times:

“He basically said he didn’t see how he could coach them to success the way it was right now…He didn’t want to get beat up for the next two months or see Melo get beat up for the next two months.”

Big questions still remain for the Knicks.

Is Mike Woodson the right man for the head coaching job?

If not, who is? Phil Jackson?

Will Lin be able to fulfill his potential under a new coach and a different style of basketball philosophy?

Can Lin and Anthony play together?

What are the chances that the Knicks make the playoffs now?

For the Knicks’ sake, answers to all of these questions need to be found sooner rather than later.

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Brett Johnson is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based writer and the founder of the music and culture blog VeryArtistical.com.

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The headline Friday on ESPN’s mobile website was used for a story about a New York loss in which Lin had nine turnovers. The headline was an idiom that contains a word that also can be used as a slur against Chinese.

[Newsone Editor's Note: Forbes Magazine reports that an anchor made the same statement that appeared in the headline. Video clip appears below. Viewer discretion advised.]

Lin is the NBA’s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. He has captivated fans by leading the Knicks to seven straight wins before Friday’s loss.

In a statement Sunday, ESPN apologizes for that headline and says it is aware of two other “offensive and inappropriate” comments. An ESPNEWS anchor who used the same phrase has been suspended for 30 days. And ESPN says a similar reference was made on ESPN Radio New York, but the commentator is not an ESPN employee.

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And what a homecoming it was for Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony was an immediate star on his first day as a Knick, and he capped off his big day by scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 114-108 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night.

Already exhausted from the chaos of All-Star weekend and a cross-country trip to New York, it wasn’t surprising when he struggled with his shot for three quarters of his debut. But on a day that was all about him, Anthony could only think about the Knicks.

“To come in today, go straight from the press conference to the locker room, then got to get ready for a basketball game like this was a lot,” he said. “But at the end of the day, the only thing that matters was a win.”

Anthony made only 10 of 25 shots but was at his best in the closing minutes, helping New York hold on after fellow superstar Amare Stoudemire fouled out. He matched the third-highest scoring game in a Knicks debut since 1964, just two points shy of Keith Van Horn’s record 29 on Oct. 29, 2003.

“He played great. He played Carmelo basketball,” Stoudemire said. “That’s what I wanted him to do, to be himself out there.”

Friends since high school, Anthony and Stoudemire have craved this reunion since the moment Stoudemire signed here in July. But neither was certain it would happen as the Nuggets weighed trade offers from the Knicks and New Jersey Nets in the final days before the trade deadline.

Anthony was on his way to the airport, headed for that unwanted return to Denver, when the call he waited for all season finally came Monday night.

The one that makes him a brighter star, and maybe makes the Knicks a bigger threat come playoff time.

“I think New York needed a moment like this,” Anthony said.

So did Anthony.

After waiting since September while the Nuggets worked to send him to the only destination he wanted, Anthony finally arrived Wednesday, telling a packed news conference he is the right kind of person to deal with New York.

“Is it going to be an easy transition for me? No. Is it going to be a lot of challenges? Yes. Is there going to be a lot of expectations? Yes,” he said. “But I’m willing to accept all of them challenges.”

The Knicks are betting on it, trading away four of their top players as part of a three-team, 13-player blockbuster that was completed Tuesday. All the players completed their physicals Wednesday, making Anthony eligible to make his Knicks debut against the Milwaukee Bucks.

“I feel like I’m still dreaming right now,” said Anthony, now wearing No. 7 and armed with a three-year, $65-million extension as he joined fellow All-Star Stoudemire in the frontcourt, giving the Knicks the potent duo they hoped they could assemble last summer in free agency.

With the building appearing completely full before tipoff, fans roared as quotes from Anthony appeared on the overhead videoboard before introductions, noting he was born in Brooklyn and wanted to be former Knicks star Bernard King.

Anthony was then introduced first to a raucous ovation, and quickly earned his first points as a Knick on an offensive rebound with 9:37 left in the first quarter.

Referring to the high price the Knicks paid, Anthony said, “I’m pretty sure if any of you guys were GMs or owners, you would want me and Amare on the same team as well. I don’t know who would turn that down.”

Anthony decided last summer he wanted out of Denver, the team that drafted him third overall in 2003. The Brooklyn native wanted the deal to New York, in part for the opportunities it will present he and his actress wife, La La Vazquez, who was among the crowd that filled the lobby of the Theater at Madison Square Garden and was interviewed by the MSG Network at halftime.

But Anthony made it clear his focus is on Madison Square Garden’s basketball court, where he averaged 30.4 points in his visits with Denver, just behind Kobe Bryant’s 30.5 for best among active players.

Wearing a Knicks warmup suit and orange headband, Anthony beamed as he posed for photos holding his new jersey.

“Will we win a championship this year? Who knows?” said Anthony, who spoke for about 10 minutes. “That takes time. But at the end of the day, we’re moving into the right direction. I felt like I wanted to be part of an organization, part of a team who had some upside and knew what the future was holding.”

Not everything was cleared up even after the deal was done. MSG chairman James Dolan felt the need at the start of Wednesday’s news conference to again deny reports he had removed team president Donnie Walsh from negotiations while being advised by Isiah Thomas.

“While Isiah Thomas is a friend of mine, a very good friend of mine, he was not at all involved in this process,” Dolan said. “He wasn’t advising me or telling me what to do in any way, and any reports that implied he was doing that are simply untrue and a fiction in somebody’s mind.”

The Knicks also got guard Anthony Carter and forwards Renaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams from Denver. New York dealt forwards Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, guard Raymond Felton and center Timofey Mozgov to the Nuggets.

The Nuggets didn’t want to include Billups, a Denver native who is so beloved there that Nuggets president Josh Kroenke and general manager Masai Ujiri apologized to his family and the team’s fans during their press conference Tuesday.

“It was time to go obviously and I’m excited about this challenge,” Billups said.

Anthony, Stoudemire and Billups – all teammates in 2007 on the U.S. basketball team that won the Olympic qualifier while running Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni’s offense – posed for photos together during the press conference. The Knicks have stressed the importance of also acquiring Billups, a five-time All-Star and former NBA finals MVP, as did Anthony.

“He knows what it takes to win championships,” Anthony said. “He knows what it takes to win basketball games.”

The Knicks haven’t made the playoffs since 2004. They are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference in their first season since acquiring Stoudemire from Phoenix last summer.

Stoudemire has said the blockbuster deal could make them better equipped to face teams like Boston and Miami, which already have multiple All-Stars, in the postseason.

“I know we got to jell. We got to get our chemistry down,” Anthony said. “At the same time, we’ve got to roll. We got things to go out there and accomplish. We got goals to reach, and it starts now.”

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The Nuggets acquired Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton and draft picks in exchange.

The Knicks beat out the rival New Jersey Nets to win the Anthony sweepstakes by agreeing to a trade with the Denver Nuggets on Monday, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.

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The deal that would finish the season-long trade speculation involving Denver’s All-Star forward and send him to his desired destination can’t be finalized until Tuesday during a conference call with the NBA office. Assuming it goes through, it puts Anthony alongside Amare Stoudemire in a potentially explosive frontcourt — at a heavy cost to the Knicks, who hoped in July to sign two top stars but came away with only one.

All trades for coaches are sad, there’s happy and sad. I’m glad it’s over, I’m glad it’s an opportunity to reinvent,” Denver coach George Karl said as he got into his SUV outside the Pepsi Center on Monday night. “I think everybody handled it as classy as you can handle it. There’s some sadness to it, there always will be. In the same, it’s time to move on, reinvent.”

The Knicks would hope Anthony could be in uniform Wednesday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks.

Anthony led the Nuggets to the playoffs in each of his first seven seasons in Denver after winning a national title at Syracuse as a freshman and had them positioned for another playoff run this year. But Denver advanced out of the first round just once in that time.

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To no one’s surprise, Brett Favre is back with the Minnesota Vikings and practicing with the team. The legendary QB, who led the team to the NFC Championship basically salvaged everything from their record to ticket sales this upcoming season with his announcement. Only question is: “Will he stay healthy?”

Carmelo Anthony has become next season’s LeBron James with the rumors spreading that he won’t be re-signing with the Denver Nuggets. While some still feel that Melo will not turn down 3 years/$65 million with the looming lockout ahead of us (and lower player salaries), he has done all he could do in Denver. They aren’t a championship team this year, and had one chance two summers ago, but lost to the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

While many teams like the Rockets, Magic, Nets and Wizards have been mentioned as possible destinations, I believe Melo and his wife Lala Vasquez, want to return to NY and he will either be traded before the deadline or sign with them next summer.

The Cubs have finally traded Derek Lee to the Braves for four prospects. Many knew the Lee-Cubs marriage had to come to an end and it’s about time. He’s been a weak hitter for the past few years and has never been the clubhouse glue many claim he is. He once was, but that was many moons ago.

Let’s see if the older veteran can pull off a few more tricks for a team in a pennant race.

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Isiah Thomas beat the NBA to the punch and pulled the plug on his return to the Garden.

Thomas has reneged on a consultant’s job with the Knicks that he had originally accepted last week – which lead to an outcry from fans, media and other college coaches – because it violated NBA conflict-of-interest rules.

“After speaking with Commissioner Stern and Knicks executives, it has become apparent that my new agreement violates certain NBA bylaws,” Thomas Wednesday night in a statement. “Because of this, I have decided to rescind my contract with the team. I have nothing but the utmost respect for Jim Dolan, Donnie Walsh, Mike D’Antoni and the entire Knicks organization, and I want to thank them for affording me this opportunity.”

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Welcome to the Newsone Daily Sports Roundup.

#1 Knicks re-hire Isiah Thomas as consultant

Newsone Analysis: While many will criticize this move, I won’t. For one, the Knicks aren’t bringing him back to replace Donnie Walsh. He is being brought in as a consultant. We can all agree that Thomas has a great eye for talent. He drafted Damon Stoudemire, Marcus Camby, and a host of others in his NBA career. While he may not be any good at building a team, he is one of the best in the business at spotting talent.

Many across the net are surprised at Thomas being brought back to the Knicks. But anyone who has followed the Isiah/Knicks saga throughout the years will know that he and Owner James Dolan are real close. This was inevitable.

#2 Former Florida Gator John Curtis found dead; Possible suicide

Newsone Analysis: This is very sad news. I vaguely remember him contributing to the Tebow era Gator teams. All our prayers go out to the family.

#3 Fan Dies On Field Before Dodger Game

Newsone Analysis: This death happened during a Mormon Festival that was taking place before the game during the game. The fan is said to have collapsed after a heart attack.

#4 Alabama Tops College Football Preseason Poll

Newsone Analysis: While I believe Alabama will be a tough team to beat this year, the best team in the country is Ohio State. No one will beat them. We’ll revisit this prediction in January.

#5 Roger Huerta Street Fight Video

Newsone Analysis: The former UFC fighter attacked an unidentified Black man when he saw him hit a random woman on an Austin, Texas street. It then turned into an all-out brawl.

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Here’s why racism makes no sense: if left unchecked, it can obscure self-interest. For example, we all stand aghast at those mad citizens that suddenly pray for American sorrow just because a Black man is president. Similarly, I’d have been crazy to be pulling for LeBron or D Wade or Kevin Durant in last night’s NBA all-star game just because they’re Black like me. I had a more specific self-interest to look out for. We had a Knick in this year’s all-star game!

David Lee, in his 5^th year out of the University of Florida, is currently averaging 20ppg to go along with 11.4rpg. Lee has improved his scoring average every season since being drafted and he is the one New York Knick that is deservedly excluded from any trade talks.

Of course, I had to apply a little bit of self-administered racial back-patting just so that I could cheer more easily for my pale hero. I had to remind myself that it was the much maligned Isiah Thomas that brought our great, white David Lee to New York. Thomas’ taking Lee with the 30^th and final pick of the first round in the 2005 NBA draft secured the guy for us. David Lee is the first Knick to make an all-star team since we had both Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell on the East’s squad in 2001.

David Lee is the best player on the New York Knicks—and I’m a fan of Nate Robinson. We’d have been a playoff contender this year if those idiots D’Antoni and Walsh had taken Brandon Jennings with the 8^th pick instead of Jordan Hill. Brandon Jennings, taken by the Milwaukee Bucks with this year’s 10^th overall selection, should win the Rookie of the Year award (if Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans doesn’t). Jordan Hill barely gets off the bench.

Yes, I am a Knicks fan and the minute you finish laughing realize this: next year, we might get LeBron James. In the meantime, we still have David Lee.

Notes from around the game: Why did Usher perform? Who came up with the Bloods vs. Crips version of the uniforms with the Western all-stars wearing red and the Eastern all-stars wearing blue? Doesn’t one team normally wear white? Expect Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban to be fined for saying that this year’s all-star game will make last week’s Super Bowl “look like a Bar Mitzvah.” I’m sure they’re something racist about the way that Black men are being used in those Old Spice commercials and I intend to find out what it is as soon as I can stop laughing. By sitting out with a (wink! wink!) injury, Kobe was trying to be as cool as Kanye at last year’s BET Awards. You ain’t hurt, punk! I saw Gabrielle Union in the crowd! She was with some other chick, I think Carmelo Anthony’s fiancé Lala Vazquez. Shakira was ok. Why did Alicia Keys sing a retooled Empire State of Mind II in Dallas? Makes me wanna wear a Barack Obama T-shirt to a gathering of Tea Party Patriots. The Eastern Conference won the game 141-139. Dwyane Wade was named MVP.

Dear Kobe,

You suck. You make me a hypocrite cause I used to say that nobody who won a championship could suck but— there you go. I couldn’t even watch the game. I passed out. When I woke up, you were covered in grease, wearing one of those stupid hats, holding the Larry O’Brien trophy and talking to one of those bozos on ESPN. It was like seeing Darth Vader wearing a swastika armband giving the American Presidential Inaugural address in the voice of Bobcat Goldthwait—everything about it was wrong.

Before you came into the league, I was like, “I don’t like this guy.” You were taking Brandy to your prom and had your face all tight like you were carrying liquid explosives in a cocktail glass. I was thinking, “All right, dog. That’s good for you. You got Brandy, now leave us alone.”

But no.

Then you shot airballs and lost in your first playoff series against the Jazz and I was like, “Ha! Iverson’s better.” Then you started winning. I attributed it to Shaq. Guilty of post-coital rape of a hotel clerk in Denver cause you made her feel like a fool after the fact and what’d you do? You blamed Shaq! What did Shaq have to do with it, dog? You still ain’t answer that one. Then you ran Shaq out of town.

Don’t let me sound like a lunatic here, though. I never fronted on your skills. I always admitted to your superfan, N’Gai Croal, who’s probably watching porn right now in his Laker jersey and calling the male star Kobe (I don’t wanna suggest what else he’s doing) that I’d take you on the Knicks in a heartbeat. I even named a character after you in that book that I self-published and that only my closet friends and family bought. Trust me dog, that Kobe is NOT the hero.

But in fairness, this win moves you onto my own personal Top Ten All-Time list. You and Clyde Frazier come off the bench behind Jordan and Magic and while there’s not too much of a drop off in scoring, my defense actually improves.

I ain’t ever gonna like you, dog.

But congratulations.

Isiah Thomas is slowly making the transition back into public life, first resurfacing with his successor and current boss, Donnie Walsh, at last week’s Pac-10 Tournament in Los Angeles and then appearing on an NCAA Tournament show in Las Vegas with his college coach Bobby Knight on Sunday.

When reached by the Daily News Monday, Thomas politely declined an interview request. He would only say that he’s “feeling good” and that the last few weeks have been emotionally draining, referring to his former Pistons coach and long-time friend, Chuck Daly, being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and the death of Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson last week.

Read the Whole Daily News Reports

A 36-year-old attorney fatally shot the former girlfriend and infant daughter of New York Knicks player Eddy Curry during a domestic-related dispute, according to police and published reports.

Fredrick Goings of Chicago was charged Sunday with two counts of first-degree murder, Cook County State’s Attorney spokeswoman Sally Daly said.

Police said Goings was arrested Friday evening as he was getting into his car outside a relative’s place in Chicago. Goings has not made any statements to authorities and is not cooperating in the investigation, Lt. Denis Walsh said.

It was not immediately clear who was representing Goings. A message left at his Chicago law office Sunday was not returned. Goings was due in bond court on Monday.

The bodies of 24-year-old Nova Henry and her 9-month-old daughter, Ava, were found in their Chicago apartment on Jan. 24. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Henry also was the mother of ex-Chicago Bulls player Curry’s 3-year-old son, who was found unharmed at the scene.

Court records show that Goings was Henry’s attorney in a paternity case with Curry involving Ava.

According to the Chicago Tribune, records show that DNA tests confirmed Ava was Curry’s daughter. Curry, through Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz, declined comment. Messages left Sunday for his attorney were not immediately returned.

Police said Goings and Henry had “a relationship” and the motive for the shooting was “domestic related” but declined to elaborate.

According to police, Nova Henry let Goings into the apartment on Jan. 24 and the two quarreled.

“What happened inside that apartment will have to come out at a later date,” Walsh told reporters Sunday. “There obviously was an argument.”

Police said surveillance images and other evidence linked Goings to the case, but authorities declined to give details.

Goings has been practicing law since April 2005, according to state records.

According to the New York Post, Dave Kuchinsky, a former chauffeur for New York Knick, Eddie Curry has accused Curry of trying to solicit gay sex from him.

According to Dave Kuchinsky, Curry would see him in the nude and say ‘look at me come and touch it,’ referring to his penis. His lawyer claimed that one time Curry pulled down his pants and asked Kuchinsky to “take care of him.”

The driver also claims that Curry several times pointed a loaded gun at him. Dave Kuchinsky also claims that curry called him a “f—ing jew, a white devil, white slave and white devil.”

What is clear is that Thomas, the Allen Iverson of my generation, known for his heart, toughness, and incredible skill, has endured a very difficult year. In fact, the last four years have been rough for a man deeply in love with the game of basketball.

Like any scorned lover, Thomas has probably had a rough time trying to rest his mind long enough to figure out how it all went so wrong. He is trying to figure out how after three decades of success, basketball-which rescued him from one the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods of the Westside of Chicago-has suddenly failed him so miserably.

Basketball helped him to secure a scholarship to St. Mary’s high school in Chicago and another scholarship to Indiana University. That led to an NCAA championship, two NBA championships, two All-Star game MVP kudos, and the honor of being selected of the fifty greatest players in NBA history, as well as all the fame and fortune such accolades provide.

But since 2003, the man who loves the game has endured a rocky relationship with basketball.  Oddly enough, Donnie Walsh has been at the scene of both of his dismissals from NBA organizations.

The first time, Thomas was the coach of the Indiana Pacers and Walsh was the general manager. Once Larry Bird was hired as president, the organization-as per Walsh’s directive-fired Thomas, despite the fine job he had done transforming what was then a very young Pacers team.

The next time, the New York Knicks hired Walsh to get things back on track after Thomas had made a bit of a mess of the organization in his four and a half years at the helm. During Thomas’ run as team president, the Knicks failed miserably: a losing record, only one postseason appearance, and not even one playoff win.

In October 2007, former Madison Square Garden executive Anucha Browne Sanders won a sexual harassment case against Thomas and the Garden. At one point during the trial, Thomas infamously declared it less offensive for black men to call black women the B word than white men. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ocb4MFkDiAY) In December, Sanders reportedly received an out-of-court settlement of $11.5 million.

So when the Knicks hired Walsh to replace Thomas as team president, his first order of business was to deal with Thomas. Instead of firing him again, Walsh reassigned Thomas to an ambiguous role of scout and consultant. In essence, his contract remained pretty good, basically paying him to get out of the way and assist the team as a talent scout.

While I am certain that Thomas is determined to resurface as an NBA general manager, his Knicks legacy has perhaps ended the likelihood of those aspirations.  It is unlikely he will be given the ball and asked to run the point for an NBA front office again.

To his credit, Thomas, who’s known for having a temper, kept his cool last year. Despite being bashed by the New York media, the chants during home games that he be fired, a woeful team, a sexual harassment lawsuit, his mother’s illness (resulting in a leg amputation), and his brother Preston’s stroke (suffered while visiting their sick mother in the hospital), there were no reports of him lashing out.

In time, I’m sure that Thomas will be fine. But, for now, like every scorned lover, he needs time to heal and regroup. Who wouldn’t? After such a stellar Hall of Fame love affair, from player to coach to executive, to have his one true love turn its back on him, Isiah Thomas is mending a broken heart.

Lewis is the author of the forthcoming Ballers of the New School: Race and Sports in America. He teaches English at Washington State University Vancouver.

Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) — Former New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas was taken to White Plains Hospital Center today after overdosing on sleeping pills, WABC-TV reported, citing police and unidentified people.

Police were called to Thomas’s house in Harrison, New York, just after midnight for a report of a possible overdose of a 46- year-old male, WABC-TV reported, citing police sources. The former NBA basketball player and coach is 47, the network said.

The incident is being treated as an overdose and not a suicide attempt, WABC-TV said, citing police. Officials with the Knicks would tell the network only that Thomas is fine.

For all the animosity that Knicks fans, and women unleashed on Isiah Thomas after his various misdeeds, few could have expected such a shocking turn in his life. Details forthcoming.