Melo: Perception of Knicks organization hurt ability to attract stars

With Carmelo Anthony back in New York City to take on the Brooklyn Nets Friday, the veteran had reason to contemplate his up-and-down tenure with the New York Knicks.

Anthony, who played parts of seven seasons with the Knicks, was asked why his former team was largely unable to pair another healthy superstar with the high-scoring forward. Anthony pulled no punches with his answer:

"I think just the business. Everything that was going on. The perception of New York Knicks ... not basketball but the organization," he said Thursday, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.

"I think it probably scared a lot of people away," he added. "Scared some people away. Not knowing the nuances and the ins and outs of kind of what was going on, who is in charge, who is not. So it was more than just basketball when it came to people making those decisions."

During Anthony's time in New York - from his midseason acquisition from the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 22, 2011 to his trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sept. 25, 2017 - the Knicks had no fewer than five lead front-office executives: Donnie Walsh, Glen Grunwald, Steve Mills, Phil Jackson, and now, Steve Mills again with Scott Perry fulfilling the duties of general manager.

Add in James Dolan, the owner who has, at times, injected himself into the day-to-day operations of the team, and there has been no shortage of decision-makers within the organization in recent years.