Former Knick Center Tyson Chandler insists that he did not cause chemistry issues in the Knicks organization last year. These comments were prompted by Knicks president Phil Jackson citing the desire to “change some of the chemistry” within the locker room. Chandler has been portrayed by the New York media as a player who cause conflict in the Knicks organization. Chandler adamantly disagrees with any notion that he was a “trouble maker.”
“I did nothing but try to help the culture there the three years I was there,” Chandler said Friday. “You can say I didn’t live up to whatever or you didn’t like the way I played or anything. But to ever question who I am and the type of leader I am in the locker room, I don’t even know where that came from.
“I honestly don’t know where that came from. I don’t know if Phil put that out there or who put that out there, but to me, that was the ultimate shock. And you don’t have to say that to get rid of me or to trade me. The trade is over.
“So to judge my character and what I’ve done, you can go look at all my teammates and ask all of my teammates in the past, and the coaches I’ve played for, and I’ve never been a problem and never had a problem. So that was a shock to me that I didn’t appreciate.”
The biggest issue with Chandler’s stint with the Knicks was probably the fact that he underperformed on the court in the latter years. Chandler was defensive player of the year in 2011-12, but injuries made him a shell of his former self the last few seasons. This is one of those situations where it was probably in everyone’s best interest to go their separate ways. Hopefully Chandler can regain his all-star form during his second stint with the Dallas Mavericks.
