Tyson Chandler feels sorry for his former teammate Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony and Chandler had an icy relationship during their time together with the New York Knicks, according to various reports.

"I do because he's a competitor," said Chandler. "I laced them up and went to battle with him for the last three years and know what kind of competitor he is.

"I know he wants to win, and I know he's going to take a lot of this heat. And it's unfortunate because he's a hell of a player in our league. It's just unfortunate."

The Knicks have struggled this season with a newly re-signed Anthony.

"He signed a contract to come back here with expectations of doing everything in his power to take this team to the next level," Chandler said. "I ultimately feel like it will with the right pieces. They have to get luck with some things in free agency or get a high draft pick or whatever the case may be, but it takes a while to change the culture.

"You bring in a new coach and you bring in a new offense and a new identity. As long as players and everybody here understands that it's a process, it'll be all right. The moment it gets tough is when you're losing. Losing makes things difficult."