Getty Images LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Carmelo Anthony of the Houston Rockets in 2018
On Thursday evening, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Portland Trail Blazers were set to sign Carmelo Anthony to a non-guaranteed deal. The last time fans saw Melo take the court was early in the 2018-19 season with the Houston Rockets. The small forward only played 10 games with the Rockets before he was traded away. Since then, the 35-year-old has been looking for a team to sign with.
Anthony has accomplished quite the resume as he is a 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA member and has a career average of 24.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
Per the NBA, The non-guaranteed deal Anthony agreed to will reportedly pay him $14,490 for each day he is on the Blazers roster. Once the news hit that the Trail Blazers were signing Anthony, support began pouring in.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James was one of the many to voice his approval. As reported by Mark Medina of USA Today Sports, James said, “I don’t think about the naysayers. But obviously there’s going to be some motivation now. He belongs in this league. I’m happy the Blazers gave him an opportunity. He’ll make the most of it.”
Carmelo Anthony’s NBA Journey
Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks in 2017
Anthony began his NBA career in 2003 when he was drafted by the Denver Nuggets as the third overall pick out of Syracuse. He was with the Nuggets from 2003-11, leading the team to the playoffs in each season from 2004-10. With Anthony, the Nuggets won two division titles and they also made te Conference Finals in 2009 for the first time since 1985.
In 2011, Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks. The small forward stayed with the Knicks from 2011-17. Melo ran into issues with then-team president Phil Jackson which resulted in him demanding a trade. He was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017 before he was again dealt to the Atlanta Hawks after one season. Once he and the Hawks agreed to a contract buyout, Anthony landed with the Houston Rockets.
The six-time All-NBA member then signed a one-year contract with the Rockets in 2018. He only played in 10 games and averaged 13.4 points. The last time he stepped foot on the court was November 8, 2018, when Houston lost to Oklahoma City 98-80.
LeBron James’ Reaction
Now that Anthony has finally landed a spot in the NBA, fans and other NBA stars have taken to social media to congratulate him. LeBron James revealed his excitement in many ways. To say that James was happy is an understatement. As reported by ClutchPoints, when the Lakers superstar heard the news, he took to Instagram to post not one but seven stories in a span of two minutes about his former competitor.
LeBron James is so HYPED Carmelo Anthony signed with the Blazers…he’s going on a posting spree. 👀
*7 IG STORIES WITHIN 2 MINUTES*
Per USA Today Sports, King James addressed doubts on whether Anthony would receive the opportunity to prove he could still play at a high level.
“I think everyone had doubt, including himself, probably,” the Los Angeles Lakers star said Friday. “As the time goes on and on and on, you see yourself getting further and further away from it. But I always hoped that he would get an opportunity.”
James also expressed his happiness and said, “I’m happy that he has an opportunity to go back and play the game that the loves to play and do it at this level.”
Wojnarowski revealed that Anthony will be joining the Blazers on this upcoming road trip. It’s expected the future Hall of Famer will make his big debut in the coming week.