Carmelo Anthony is headed to Los Angeles to finally, after years and years of rumors, team up with LeBron James. Anthony on the Lakers is an exciting prospect, as they will legitimately need him to give the team an offensive punch from the perimeter, but before he makes his way down to L.A., the former All-Star made it a point to show some love to the city where he’s played his ball over the last few years.
Anthony took to social media and expressed his appreciation for Portland, saying that playing for the Trail Blazers helped him reignite his love for the game of basketball.
“Portland, all I can say is thank you,” Anthony wrote. “Thank you for letting me love the game of basketball again. Thank you for welcoming me into your community, and supporting me both on the court and in your city. These two years were some of the most important ones of my career, and for that I’ll always be grateful.”
For all of his accomplishments and how quickly Anthony became an important rotation player in Portland, it is important to remember that there were real questions about when he’d play in the NBA next prior to his joining the team. Anthony and the Houston Rockets parted ways after 10 games in 2018, and then, he sat at home until injuries to the Blazers’ frontcourt meant they needed someone to step in and give them a boost.
Anthony managed to do that, and while he won’t go down as one of the greatest players in franchise history or anything like that, he was a productive member of the team. In two years, Anthony averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game.