Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony to heckler: Ask the owner for your money back
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony had little patience for dealing with the complaints of an outspoken fan during Tuesday’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, instead referring the heckler to his boss.
“Look, the owner’s right there,” Anthony said to the fan, who was sitting a few rows behind owner James Dolan. “Ask for your money back.”
The Knicks’ 104–85 loss on Tuesday was their second in a row and their 15th in their last 18 games, dropping the team's record to 25–37. The fan had apparently had enough of the team’s struggles.
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“He kept calling my name, calling my name, saying, ‘You guys suck, you guys suck,’” Anthony said, according to ESPN. “At that point, I was trying to gather myself, and I turned around. All I did was point at Dolan and told ‘Look, the owner’s right there. Ask for your money back.’ He’s calling me and telling me he’s never coming to another game and we suck. Just don’t want to hear that. I pointed to the owner and told him, ‘You deal with that with him. Maybe you can get your money back.’”
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The fan was reportedly removed from his seat by security after the interaction with Anthony.
On Wednesday afternoon, Anthony released a statement apologizing for his interaction.
“We are all frustrated by the team’s recent results,” he said. “Last night, a fan and I let those frustrations get the best of us. I should not have responded the way I did.”
- Erin Flynn