As doubts surround New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony’s NBA career, the athlete faces one crucial question: does he want to finish his career playing in the Garden as a Knick or be traded to a championship bound team? Potential trade rumors from the Knicks’ front office and the possibility that Anthony wants to leave don’t exactly create a winning attitude in the locker room or on the court. And for a team like the Knicks, who have fallen to a 23-33 record this season and are in third place in the Eastern Conference, the tensions will not be helpful.

Knicks President Phil Jackson — who was a coach former championship-winning teams Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers — has been criticized for his suspect comments about Anthony. In a recent tweet, Jackson referenced a Bleacher Report article, claiming that he wishes Anthony was a little more like Michael Jordan or possessed the ferocity of Kobe Bryant, but that just isn’t who Anthony is. Jackson may be a little passive aggressive, but for someone who has won 11 NBA championships and mentored players like Bryant and Jordan, one has to consider his point.

Bleacher’s Ding almost rings the bell, but I learned you don’t change the spot on a leopard with Michael Graham in my CBA daze.

— Phil Jackson (@PhilJackson11) February 7, 2017

Anthony’s struggles with the Knicks don’t seem to add up when considering his previous success. After leading the Syracuse University Orangemen to their first NCAA championship in 2003, Anthony’s number was retired at the university. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in 2003 and led the scoring charge when the Nuggets made the playoffs from 2004 to 2010.

The addition of Anthony and big man Amar’e Stoudemire during the 2011 playoff push didn’t pan out the way the Knicks wanted it to when they were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round. The following year, point guard Jeremy Lin became a sensation and the Knicks embraced the blue collar, hard-nosed basketball style Lin embodied in search of postseason success. But the Miami Heat took down the Knicks in five games as Lin was sidelined with an injury. After the Knicks had reached the postseason three seasons in a row,  2013 showed some promise when the Knicks defeated the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. After a 54-28 season record, sharp-shooters Anthony and J.R Smith couldn’t hit a basket, resulting in a painful conference finals loss to the Indiana Pacers 106-99 in game six.

Regardless of his current team’s struggles, Anthony has impressive accolades — including being the 2013 NBA scoring champion, nine-time NBA All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist.

Anthony, arguably one of the best scorers of all time, hasn’t been able to lead the Knicks to substantial postseason success or championship level of play in his seven seasons with them. But is it all on Anthony? Does he have the working parts around him that produce a championship team, or has the Knicks’ management failed at providing impactful players to partner with Anthony in his championship dreams?

Anthony denies his desire to leave New York but his longtime friendship with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lebron James has headlined sports news lately. Will we see him playing with James in the future or will he end his successful, but NBA championship-less, career in New York? One thing is for sure: a team with Anthony, James and Kyrie Erving would be a force to be reckoned with.

Email Trevor Francesconi at [email protected].