Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler felt at times he was the scapegoat with the New York Knicks. Part of why Chandler felt like that, according to him, is because of the type of teammates he had in the Knicks' locker room.
After Knicks president Phil Jackson cited wanting to change the locker room chemistry as the reason he included Chandler in June's six-player deal, some people came to the conclusion Chandler was a negative influence behind the scenes. Chandler said this week he "at times" felt like a scapegoat with the Knicks, but he admitted the experience made him stronger.
"At times, at times, at times," Chandler told ESPN. "But I feel like New York made me a lot stronger, a lot stronger of a person going through trials and tribulations there. But that's life."
Chandler never denied holding his teammates accountable for their performances in last year's train wreck of a season, but he believes the type of players in the Mavericks' locker room is why he's viewed as a leader there and not a negative influence.
"I think people can take it differently and make it what they want to make it," Chandler said when asked whether his leadership attempts were taken the wrong way in New York. "It also depends on where your mind is. If everybody is locked in and they want to win and they know I'm in it 100 percent and they're in it 100 percent, nobody's sensitive. But if there's other agendas, it's going to make things sensitive."
Dallas hosts New York on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET.
