LOS ANGELES _ Metta World Peace has been keeping a close eye on the Knicks and what's been going on between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony. It's brought up some memories for World Peace when he and Jackson "had clashes" at practice.
World Peace said he would scream profanities at Jackson when he would say things to get under his skin during Lakers practice, and his former coach didn't care. But World Peace was impressed with how Anthony has handled this situation.
"Phil's going to push you," World Peace, the former Ron Artest, said before the Knicks played the Lakers on Sunday night. "He's going to see where your mind's at. And Melo responded well. I've seen the comments. I like the fact that Melo didn't back down. I like the fact that Melo did have some competitive comments and he went back at Phil. So it reminded me of when Kobe [Bryant] went back at Phil."
Anthony said Saturday that he and Bryant have had "countless conversations" about Jackson.
The Knicks president essentially said Anthony can be a ball stopper in an interview with CBS Sports Network that aired Tuesday.
Anthony posted two things on Instagram and Twitter that were directed at Jackson. He said the Knicks don't need "any negativity" and didn't like that "a temporary black cloud" was over them.
Jackson approached Anthony before practice Saturday and Anthony said they cleared the air. Anthony said he asked Jackson why he's always talking about him, and later told reporters that his boss has "got to be careful with the choice of words that he uses."
World Peace, a Queens native, noted that the Knicks are playing well, and he likes what he sees from them.
"Melo said, 'We're going to stick here, and be with the team. We're not listening to anything on the outside,' " said World Peace, who was briefly with the Knicks in the 2013-14 season. "That was great. That was great, man. And that's what the Garden needs, man. They need that controversy. They need it, man.
"When I was there, everybody was so tense. They need that little shake-up. And they're playing well. They started out rough. And now they're playing well. And Melo responded and he's playing the right way. He's playing much better."
World Peace, who was on the Lakers' 2010 NBA championship team, said tension can be good. He also said Jackson thrives on it and likes it when players are angered by his comments.
"When something's wrong, you just address it," he said. "And Phil's not going to hold punches. And I think it's great ... He [doesn't care]. That's what he wants. He wants that."
It's not only Anthony who Jackson has upset recently. He also drew the ire of LeBron James for calling his friends and business associates "a posse" in an interview with ESPN.com.
Lakers coach Luke Walton, a two-time champion playing under Jackson, hasn't been surprised by any of this.
"He's been saying stuff that gets people upset since I've known him," Walton said. "It doesn't surprise me. I wish I knew. Phil's a unique individual that does a lot of things people don't understand, but he normally has a pretty good reason and purpose behind stuff.
"A lot of times I don't understand why [he says things]. But most of the controversy, we normally came out, played better, harder and won games. So he's got his own technique on how he does things. But most of the time in my experience with him, it normally works out."
The difference is that Jackson was a coach then, and now he's the president of the team. World Peace said that doesn't matter.
"He don't care," World Peace said. "He does what he wants. He gets the big bucks and says what he wants to say. That's why he gets the big bucks. He's the boss at the end of the day. He can say whatever the hell he wants to say. Who is running the show?"
World Peace was then told Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract.
"Then they're both running the show," he said. "So hey, it is what it is."
