Carmelo Anthony seemed down and out just a couple of years ago. He had been released from the Houston Rockets after just 10 games and it seemed like there wasn't a single team that wanted him. Eventually, Melo was able to get a fresh chance at glory with the Portland Trail Blazers who needed some depth. Melo revitalized his career with the Blazers and immediately made a huge impact out on the court.
In free agency, Melo opted to leave the Blazers and sign with the Los Angeles Lakers on a veteran minimum contract. This was a massive move for the Lakers who are trying to add to their depth in time for next season. While Melo opted to leave Portland, he is still delighted with his experience in the city, as he explained on IG.
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"Portland, all I can say is thank you. Thank you for letting me love the game of basketball again. Thank you for welcoming me into your community, and supporting me both on the court and in your city. These two years were some of the most important ones of my career, and for that I’ll always be grateful," Melo wrote.
Melo's former superstar teammate Damian Lillard opted to make a joke out of the situation as he took to Melo's Instagram comments with a joke for the new Lakers veteran. As you can see, Lillard wrote "off the property bruv" as a way to jokingly tell Melo that he needs to pack up his things and get out of Portland immediately.
Of course, there was no animosity to be had here, although it's cool to see Lillard keeping the mood light as he competes for Olympic gold in Tokyo.