Porzingis: Melo taught me not to 'give a sh--' about drama
No matter what Phil Jackson or the New York Knicks threw at him last season, Carmelo Anthony remained professional and committed to the club.
That didn't go unnoticed by his teammates, who voted him 2017 Teammate of the Year.
Kristaps Porzingis praised the manner in which Anthony handled off-court drama, including Jackson's public and relentless efforts to get rid of him.
"You could never tell that something was going on," Porzingis told ESPN's Ian Begley.
"He was always calm, collected - every day. It was no big deal for him, all the off-court stuff. And that's one thing I can learn from him - 'don't give a sh--' (about the drama). He was just doing his thing and focusing on things he needs to focus on and not letting anything else come in his way."
Other teammates echoed that sentiment, saying the 10-time All-Star stayed positive, supportive, and helpful despite everything he was going through.
"He was getting it from every angle," Courtney Lee said. "So for him to be that mentally tough and still show up and still come to work and fight with us, our level of respect grew for him."
Following months of trade rumors, Anthony was dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder in September. Jackson - who was also willing to trade Porzingis after he skipped the team's exit meeting - was canned in late June.
Having outlasted both, Porzingis has become the new face of the Knicks. The 22-year-old power forward averaged 18 points, 7.2 rebounds, two blocks, and 1.5 assists as a sophomore last season. He'll try his best to step up and lead the team to the playoffs for the first time in five years.
Related: Porzingis 'ready for the challenge' of leading Knicks in post-Melo era
Should he struggle, the New York media will not go easy on him. Luckily, Melo taught him not to give a damn.
The two will square off for the first time as opponents Thursday in OKC.