Jim Boeheim Says Phil Jackson 'Chased' Carmelo Anthony off Knicks

Jim Boeheim, who was Carmelo Anthony's basketball coach at Syracuse during the 2002-03 season, believes Phil Jackson is why Anthony no longer plays for the New York Knicks. 

Per SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria, Boeheim said Jackson "chased" Anthony away from the Knicks. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Saturday the Knicks traded Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a package that includes Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a draft pick.

Boeheim has been critical of Jackson and his treatment of Anthony during his tenure as president of the Knicks. The Syracuse coach told Zagoria on Sept. 15 he thinks New York should've traded the 10-time All-Star before parting ways with Jackson over the summer:

"I think in reality it would’ve been better if they let Phil make the trade and then got rid of him. Now the new guys are going to be held responsible for the deal and nobody’s going to give much up [for Anthony in a trade]. So they’re going to end up not getting a lot for him and it’s really because of what Phil did in poisoning the air."

Jackson said Saturday he believes Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry "salvaged" things by getting what they could for Anthony because "everybody knew they had to make a move by Monday."

Anthony has been with the Knicks since being acquired from the Denver Nuggets in a midseason trade during the 2010-11 season. He did lead the team to three straight playoff appearances from 2011-13, but they finished under .500 in each of the past four seasons. 

The Thunder added Anthony to a roster that already includes reigning NBA MVP Russell Westbrook and four-time All-Star Paul George.