http://www.nydailynews.com/s****ts/basketball/knicks/story/238295p-204475c.ht
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Shandon Anderson purchased nearly 50 tickets for family and friends last
January in Atlanta, his normal allotment whenever the Knicks played in his
hometown.
His young daughter sat behind the Knicks bench and his brother, Willie,
the
one-time Knick, was also in attendance. But not everything about this
night
was perfect for Anderson, whose streak of 543 consecutive games played was
about to come to an abrupt halt. As the minutes passed, Anderson decided
then and there that Isiah Thomas was out to get him.
"It could have ended anywhere," Anderson said. "But it ended in Atlanta
because it was personal. I know it was Isiah. That was low. It is
something
I will never forget."
The Knicks contend Lenny Wilkens asked Anderson about keeping the streak
alive and that Anderson said it was OK if he didn't play.
Anderson, however, accused Thomas of ordering Wilkens not to play him on
Jan. 23 in Atlanta if for no other reason than to humiliate a player he
didn't like, didn't want and couldn't trade. Speaking publicly for the
first
time about his behind-the-scenes feud with his boss, Anderson criticized
Thomas for questioning his character and for establi****ng a hostile
working
environment for players and coaches alike.
"He's told people that I'm a cancer," Anderson said over the telephone.
"My
father died from cancer and I don't appreciate him using that word like
that. I don't look at myself as a marquee player. I'm not the best shooter
or the best dribbler and if you want to attack me as a basketball player,
fine. But when you start attacking my character and talking to the media
instead of talking to me, that's another story.
"I played for Jerry Sloan, one of the toughest coaches in the league. He
told me, 'Play hard all the time because you never know who is watching.'
That always stuck with me. I practice hard, I don't miss games and I don't
cause problems."
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