Although it's probably one of the worst-kept secrets in basketball, former New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni has finally revealed why he left the team back in March 2012.

D'Antoni, now head coach of the Houston Rockets, was part of the Knicks from May 2008 until his departure in March 2012, taking New York to the playoffs only twice in that period, but never beyond the first round.

The reason why he resigned from his position won't surprise many at all.

During an interview alongside his wife with ESPN Magazine, D'Antoni revealed he left the Knicks back in 2012 because of an ultimatum issued from one of his players which he had heard, Camelo Anthony.

Melo said the team had a choice to make back in 2012. It was either going to be him or the head coach on the team the following season. Anthony didn’t want to remain a Knick by the trade deadline if he D’Antoni would still be with the team the following next season.

Hearing about this, D'Antoni made the choice for the Knicks and resigned from his position, explaining to ESPN: "I just went in and quit."

"Don't say 'quit,'" Laurel says. "I hate that word. You resigned. You walked away. Mutually walked away." Mike rolls his eyes and turns to me. "I quit," he says.

"And if it doesn't work here, I'll just walk away," Mike jokes. "That's what I always do. I've got a motto," he says. "When the posse's chasing you out of town, you just act like you're the head of a parade."

The following season after his departure, the Knicks went on to win their first division title in 19 years, but they haven't been back to the playoffs since. Much has now changed for both Anthony and D'Antonio.

Anthony now has a new power-struggle in New York with head coach Phil Jackson, while D'Antonio, on the other hand, is a contender to win the NBA’s 2017 Coach of the Year Award. His Rockets, however, need to muster up back-to-back wins in order to reach the Conference Finals as they're 3-2 down to the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the playoffs.