Four years ago today, one of the NBA’s most iconic players suited up for Rip City for the first time.
Four years ago at this point in the NBA season, the Portland Trail Blazers were a 5-10 underdog. Meanwhile, 35-year-old Carmelo Anthony, more than a year removed from playing in the league, was desperately looking for an opportunity to prove he could still play.
The two sides developed a good rivalry, and four years ago, on November 19, 2019, Anthony made his Trail Blazers debut in a road game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
The 10-time All-Star and future Hall-of-Famer scored 10 points on 4-14 shooting and five rebounds, and the Trail Blazers fell 115-104. But it was the first of 127 appearances in Melo’s Trail Blazers uniform that definitively resurrected his career.
In two seasons in Portland, including 58 starts that first season, Anthony averaged 14.3 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 39.9% from 3-pointers. The NBA scoring great provided much-needed offensive punch to a thin forward rotation, and plenty of 3s to the dome, obvious stuffing rebounds, jab steps and mid-range jumpers out of the high post.
Anthony’s presence hasn’t come without polarities, namely his lack of defense and trigger-happy style with the ball. But that’s what made Melo, Melo. My guess is that most Trail Blazers fans look back on the overall experience of having an iconic NBA player like Anthony come to Portland, even if it was a few years too late.
Anthony will be best remembered in Portland as one of Damian Lillard’s key running mates during the team’s 2020 NBA bubble, leading the Trail Blazers to down-to-the-wire victories to make the playoffs. .
Anthony’s second season in Portland ended in the first round of 2021 NBA PlayoffsHe is LeBron James and The Los Angeles Lakers For the 2021-22 season. Anthony officially announced his retirement in May 2023.
Trail Blazers fans, what do you remember about Anthony’s time in Rip City? Let us know in the comments! AND THERE STAYME7O.
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