|
Alan Hahn: There have been suggestions that Melo was resentful of the attention Lin received last season and also that Lin's interest in remaining a Knick has waned because he doesn't want to play with Melo. The two went out to dinner in June, along with Tyson Chandler, in an attempt to develop a better understanding of each other, discuss the future and air out any lingering issues. Apparently it didn't work.
Still, Melo's strong words about Lin's impending big payday were troublesome and created a media firestorm that motivated Melo to fire back later in the day.
"I'm tired of people trying to blame me for the fact that the Knicks might not match," he said to Yahoo! Sports. "I want everybody to get paid if they have the opportunity."
If you know Melo, you know he is big on having players earn their stripes when they come into the NBA. He orders rookies to carry equipment and, occasionally, his bag. He believes status is something you earn over time, as you prove yourself in the league over the course of a season or two. So Lin's ascension into stardom and as a main face of the franchise is, without question, something Melo has tried to counter with some humble pie. That's been going on in the NBA for decades.
|