After being out of the NBA for over a year, Carmelo Anthony returned with the Portland Trail Blazers in 2019. He played in the infamous Orlando bubble last year, showing he could adapt to any role he was given in a team.
Melo confirmed that this season, sinking clutch shots for his team, increasing his legacy in the league, and showing why he’s one of the all-time greats in his position. Anthony is now ready to play with the Los Angeles Lakers and long-time friend LeBron James.
He came a long way, but now he’s ready to win a championship after a painful hiatus from 2018 through 2019. Talking with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on Showtime’s ‘All the Smoke,’ Melo explained how he felt with the game when he was traded by the Houston Rockets and waived by the Chicago Bulls in 2018 (1:58).
“…That whole year, I was like, ‘f**k it,’ I’m getting away from the game of basketball. When you love something, and it don’t love you back no more, it ain’t no point you put your all into it. So, I always said, I’mma keep my body right, I’mma train, I’ll work out, my son had me right, being around his teammates, going to AAU tournaments, that’s what really got me motivated because I was done with the game. The game wouldn’t love me how I loved the game.”
Melo stayed patient, and things worked out for him. He became a valuable piece for the Trail Blazers coming off the bench. Anthony proved he can be a quality addition to any team in the league, and that’s why the Lakers signed him this offseason.
The veteran forward is entering a challenging season that could end with him winning his first NBA championship on a Lakers team with LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, and more talented players.
