LOS ANGELES — Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson staged a peace summit at practice Saturday — with the Zen Master clarifying his critical remarks. Anthony said he felt good about the conversation but still took a little tweak at the salty Zen Master, saying he has “got to be careful the choice of words he uses.”
Jackson, who has a place in Playa del Rey with his fiancée/Lakers president Jeanie Buss, dropped by the Knicks practice at USC ahead of their showdown against the Lakers on Sunday. Jackson never travels with the club — except when it is in La La Land.
Anthony said Jackson initiated their talk four days after the Knicks president said in an interview Anthony slows down the triangle flow because he too often holds onto the ball too long. The remark irritated Anthony enough to the point he sent out two controversial Instagram posts aimed at Jackson, including a famous picture of his idol, Muhammad Ali, with arrows being flung at him.
“We had a little session,” Anthony said. “We talked. We had a conversation this morning. He said his piece. I said my piece. Two men spoke. He said what he had to say. I don’t want to tell you all what he said. The conversation was good — to hear his perspective on what happened, how it all went down.”
Anthony said Friday he was baffled the remarks earlier this week came while the club was enjoying the most success ever under Jackson. They enter the Lakers contest at 13-10 — three games over .500 for the first time in the Jackson era.
“I wasn’t letting it linger or affect me,” said Anthony, who looked disengaged while scoring just eight points Wednesday against Cleveland when the remarks surfaced. “Something if I got an opportunity to speak to him, I was going to tell him how I felt about what happened and what was said and if anything was misinterpreted. He spoke his piece.”
Though he said it was “water off his back,” Anthony at times didn’t sound completely over it.
“That was my question: Why?” Anthony said. “Regardless of the context of the interview. Just, why, regardless of what he said, why every time my name comes up regardless of what we’re doing. He explained that. For me, it’s behind me since two days ago [when he posted Instagrams].”
According to Anthony, Kobe Bryant had warned him multiple times Jackson is prone to unleashing unprovoked critiques at his stars.
“Me and Kobe have had countless conversations about [Jackson’s outspokenness],” Anthony said. “After a while, it’s water off your back. I’ve learned from the guys who came before me.
“[Kobe told me], ‘Keep on going, keep your head up and move. Don’t read into it too much.’ It’s something I’ve learned over the years, especially with Phil. He’s going to talk. Nobody could stop him.”
Anthony scored 33 points in carrying the club on his shoulders for the first three quarters in its win over Sacramento on Friday, but before the game, Anthony admitted the Jackson feud had put “a dark cloud over us” during winning times.
“It’s not surprising,” Anthony said. “At this point in your life, it’s water off your back. You try not to read too much into things. This is one of those situations. He’s got to be careful the choice of words he uses. He understands that.”
Jackson snuck out a side door just as reporters were let into the USC gym, declining to talk. Sunday he will see Walton, his former player, coach the Lakers for the first time. Walton was the first call Jackson made during his coaching search, though he proved uninterested in the Knicks — the Lakers were his dream job — but it’s worked out for Jackson. Jeff Hornacek has done just fine, with the Knicks 8-3 in their last 11.
“We’re finding ways to winning basketball games,’’ Anthony said. “There’s an experience and sense of urgency. The way we’re winning is always a morale and confidence booster.’’