After leading the Knicks to an 18-6 regular season finish, Mike Woodson had the interim tag removed Friday, signing a contract extension that should quell talk of Phil Jackson returning to New York for at least another few months. Earlier, it was reported that MSG had leaned on Woodson to fire his previous agents, Joe, Keith and Tyler Glass, a trio that also happens to represent former thorn-in-James-Dolan’s side, Larry Brown. Speaking with the Newark Star Ledger’s Alex Raskin (and presumably a room full of other reporters), Woodson denied said firing was a condition of his own hiring.
“I truly want to set the record straight with this agent thing,” Woodson said. “I have no contract with the Glasses. I paid for my services and I elected to move on. Mr. Dolan had nothing to do with me making this decision. It was Mike Woodson’s decision. I have every right to make that decision if I choose to do that and I did that. And for me and my family, it’s a wonderful day because I’ve executed a contract with the Knicks.”
Published reports also suggested that Woodson would hire Creative Artists Agency to represent him, which he did, but insisted it was of his own fruition.
“I chose CAA because I just thought that they would be the best for me,” Woodson said of the agency that already represents Knicks executives Allan Houston and Mark Warkentien as well as star forward Carmelo Anthony. “After going thorough their company and observing things that they can do for me, I thought that they would be the best fit.”