Carmelo Anthony has become a big hit among fans of the Los Angeles Lakers. The former All-Star was signed by the Lakers to provide a solid scoring option from the bench. And so far, Melo has exceeded expectations, putting on solid scoring performances so far.
Most recently, Anthony led the Lakers in scoring in their first win of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies. Anthony was spectacular, scoring 28 points to help the Lakers escape the Grizzlies and get the ball rolling on their season. It was truly a vintage Anthony performance.
With his numbers against Memphis, Melo surpassed Moses Malone to become the 9th leading scorer in NBA history. It was a truly historic accomplishment for one of the NBA’s most gifted scorers. And it also showed just how lethal an option he can be for the Los Angeles Lakers going forward.
Melo said that he is very grateful for the reception that Lakers fans have given him. And he was also a little surprised at how they’ve welcomed him, given his battles with the franchise during his time in Denver, going up against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers in 2009. And he is using that fan support as motivation to keep going.
Melo on Lakers fans: “The way that they have embraced me especially knowing all the battles that I’ve had in the past here against the Lakers… I got to keep going. It keeps me motivated”
— 🏆LakersGuru🏆 (@GuruLakers) October 25, 2021
“The way that they have embraced me especially knowing all the battles that I’ve had in the past here against the Lakers… I got to keep going. It keeps me motivated”
Anthony’s arrival in LA allowed him to team up with his close friend LeBron James for the first time in the course of their careers. James and Anthony are the two most tenured players in the league right now, and the only active players left from the historic 2003 NBA Draft class.
So far, Anthony has averaged 17.7 points off the bench, becoming one of the Lakers’ best options off the bench. If he can keep up this scoring pace for the course of the season, he could be a solid contender for Sixth Man Of The Year. But the only accolade that Anthony will have his eyes on is the NBA championship.
