Carmelo Anthony may be warming up to Mike D’Antoni.
The Knicks forward passed on opportunities to praise his head coach Sunday after the team was swept out of the playoffs by the Celtics and on Monday after exit interviews.
But on Tuesday night, and with speculation that D’Antoni’s job is in jeopardy, Anthony complimented him.
“I love him,” Anthony told CBSNewYork.com on Tuesday night. “I’m a big fan of him. I love him and I support him.”
It’s believed D’Antoni’s future could be tied to president Donnie Walsh’s, whom The Post reported Wednesday was close to staying on for another year with the team option or perhaps even signing a two-year extension.
D’Antoni is in the final season of a four-year contract. There is some question whether Anthony can excel in D’Antoni’s speedball offense.
Anthony did not sound overly excited about continuing the relationship after losing their fourth straight to Boston on Sunday.
“It’s a long summer,” Anthony said when asked if he wanted D’Antoni back. “As far as the players go on the team or coach situation, I’m pretty sure the front office will handle it to the best of their ability. They have one of the greatest front offices in the NBA, so they will do their job. I’ll let them handle that.”
The team’s other superstar, Amar’e Stoudemire, was more supportive of D’Antoni on Monday, saying he “absolutely” expected D’Antoni and Walsh to be back. Stoudemire played under D’Antoni with the Suns, but Anthony had a third of a season to adjust to D’Antoni’s offense after he was acquired from Denver in a trade on Feb. 22.
Anthony said he is still getting over the early playoff exit.
“I’m still recovering,” he told the website from the TIME 100 Gala. “I’m in a recovery state right now.”