Carmelo Anthony has made an impact since joining the Trail Blazers and he insists his latest return to the NBA isn’t a farewell tour, as he told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Anthony signed a one-year, non-guaranteed contract with Portland this month after starting power forward Zach Collins suffered a major shoulder injury. Anthony, 35, is averaging 16.0 PPG, 5.3 RPG and 1.8 APG in his four games with the Blazers. He scored 25 points in a win over Chicago on Monday.
Anthony’s stint with Houston last season lasted just 10 games. He and his representatives had been lobbying to get him back in the league this season before the Portland opportunity came along. He plans to play beyond this season, though he contemplated retiring when his phone didn’t ring.
“This ain’t a damn farewell tour,” Anthony told Charania. “My love for the game don’t stop. I don’t know where this ‘farewell tour’ thing came from. I’ve never talked about a farewell tour. I know what I can do and I believe in myself. When a farewell tour comes, it comes. That’s not something I think about. I’m not thinking about retiring right now. I had (thought about it) during this past stretch over the summer. But ain’t no retiring in my mind. I believe in what I have left.”
Anthony said he knew that the Blazers’ interest was serious when some of their players contacted him, including star Damian Lillard.
“It really wasn’t any conversations. I was continuing to go on with life and hanging with my (family) and doing my other business ventures. Then Dame called me. CJ (McCollum) called me. Zach called me,” he said. “Everybody, a lot of people texted me and called me. But it had to be something that I felt comfortable with and that they felt comfortable with. We got on the phone, got comfortable and went from there.”
Anthony said his stint with the Blazers will only get better with time.
“I’ve had (four) games with these guys. We haven’t had no practices yet, no time to adjust, just straight on-court basketball and going off of talent and skill,” he said. “I’m just walking in the gym and thrown into the fire. Until we have time to practice, get in the gym and get together and get back in Portland, nothing is going to be determined for us.”
Stay Me7o!
Melo should sign with the Bulls, he would be their best player. “Bulls could be 8th seed in the east” ha! Good joke! Several college teams are better than them.
The worst NBA team would slaughter the best college team in any year.
Exactly this! I hate when people use this rhetoric. Especially when it comes to Football, any pro team would steamroll even the best college team.
But college teams have 5’10 white point guards with heart and hustle! They travel too much in the pros!
Meh, the very few top college teams would not be steamrolled by the Bengals or Fins. Not saying they beat them but it would be competitive.
Blazers were in a position were they needed to make a change to that roster or get left behind in the West. They look a shot on Melo and he’s been good so far.
I think they still need a really good 1 on 1 defender.
He won’t make them a playoff team in the West.
Portland won’t be a contender until they get Nurkic back.
Hopefully Little turns into that defender. He has looked solid defensively so far
I’m glad he’s scoring some. His game was never premised in great athleticism, so he looks like the same old Melo… which, to me, is not a complement. But, different strokes for different folks.
Quick to the rim.
Melo has the same super inefficient game he’s had since his surgery (before that it was just standard inefficient). Apparently it’s accompanied by the same delusional attitude about the value of his game. The latter, more than the former, is actually the main reason he’s been (and will soon again be) on the street.
It’s gonna take more than just beating a typical subpar eastern team like the Bulls to turn the season around for the Blazers. They’re still 6-12 and in no position to challenge the top teams in the West without their best defensive player.
He’ll do just fine on the street (stop snitchin’).
Delusional attitude.. how many teams I’m the playoffs. Man oh man.
He’s not the only one with an inefficient game in the NBA, far from it!
His “farewell tour” still has a few more engagements left.
His final performance will likely be in early January.
Lol Melo needs to sit down. One good game against a terrible Bulls team and he thinks hoodie Melo is back