Carmelo Anthony came into the 2019-20 NBA season without a place to play. This always seemed odd, because despite his shooting not being what it used to be, and despite some locker room problems, he still possesses one of the smoothest strokes to ever been seen in the NBA.
Yet nobody wanted him. It became unclear if Melo would even have the chance to play in the NBA ever again.
His shot finally came, as a banged up Portland Trail Blazers squad decided to take on the scorer and see what he had left in the tank. Turns out the former star wasn’t just running on fumes. After leading the Blazers past the Chicago Bulls with a vintage-looking 25-point performance, one that also put him up to 18th on the all-time scoring list, Melo made it clear that he had no plans of leaving anytime soon.
The following is an excerpt from Shams Charania’s article for The Athletic:
“This ain’t a damn farewell tour,” Anthony said. “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.”
You can tell he was feeling that “Chip on the Shoulder” mentality after his frustrating extended offseason. Whether he can keep it going is another question, as consistency has been a problem for Melo in recent years.
At least we know his heart is FULLY there.
(H/T The Athletic)
