The New York Knicks are anticipated to come in as a better team this NBA season especially with the addition of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls as well as Courtney Lee of the Charlotte Hornets. With Kristaps Porzingis looking to gain more traction in the hardwood court through intense workouts and drills, fans of the team are eager to see if Carmelo Anthony finally has the group to at least make it to the playoffs. However, it looks like adding too many alphas backfired for the New York Knicks as a Derrick Rose vs Carmelo Anthony feud is said to be brewing.
Throughout his career, Derrick Rose had been the undisputed leader of the Chicago Bulls until he got injured and Jimmy Butler emerged as the leader. Although he now plays for a different NBA team, fans feel that the former Chicago Bulls star still expects to be in control of the hardwood court - a concept that might clash with New York Knicks leader Carmelo Anthony.
Similar with the situation of Derrick Rose, the NBA career of Carmelo Anthony has consistently placed him as the top dog of his teams such as the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. Moreover, reports constantly indicate how much he dislikes getting the spotlight focused somewhere else - a situation that allegedly sent away Jeremy Lin from the Big Apple. Will this be the root of another NBA feud? Will fans see a Derrick Rose vs Carmelo Anthony leadership struggle in the New York Knicks?
The answers remain uncertain. At this point, both NBA All-Star players are preparing for the upcoming regular season. While fans of the New York Knicks are anxious to see who would be the true top dog in the hardwood court, others believe that the two veterans will strive to push the team to the playoffs this NBA season.
In terms of leadership, however, it appears that Carmelo Anthony has the edge. In the recently concluded Rio Olympics 2016, the Team USA for the men's basketball brought home the gold. This achievement marks the third gold medal win for the New York Knicks star. While his performance in the hardwood court was remarkable, sources point to his leadership as another notable aspect of his Olympics stint.
"Carmelo was the unquestioned leader of this team,'' said Jim Boeheim. He added, "I thought he did a great job.''
Boeheim further noted, "He [Carmelo Anthony] was a really good leader on this year's team. When we were struggling there, he was a good voice in the locker room. He kept everybody together. We had so many new guys that weren't used to, some of them hadn't come off the bench in some time and it was a struggle for them, but everything came together.''