Carmelo Anthony entered last year looking like someone who was about to be forced into early retirement. By season’s end, he was an integral part of arguably one of the two or three hottest teams in the NBA.
Anthony’s run with the Portland Trail Blazers seemed to give him new life as a basketball player. He was as motivated and hungry as anyone had seen him in a long time. It appears as though that drive hasn’t died down since Portland’s elimination at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.
This past week, Anthony published a photo on Instagram where he’s shirtless. In it, he looks to be in possibly the best shape he has been in over the past few years.
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A Flower Does Not Think Of Competing With The Flower Next To It. It Just Blossoms! #STAYME7O
Last week, Anthony published a photo showcasing his similarly jacked frame.
For most of his career, including in his absolute prime, Anthony tended to be on the chunkier side. So it is easy to see why these most recent photos have gotten so much buzz.
Big picture, the 36-year-old’s newfound commitment to getting and staying in shape speaks to the dedication he now has towards his craft. He is not simply relying on his natural skill to get by anymore, he is really putting the work in. This isn’t Oklahoma City Thunder or Houston Rockets Melo. That guy is long gone, replaced by an older and wiser baller who has clearly learned from past lapses in judgement.
Recently, Anthony spoke out about his plans for the future and how much he would love to remain with the Blazers going forward.
“I pray that it could be Portland,” he said.
Yikes Aaron Gordon. https://t.co/fmz8bvfSkC
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 16, 2020
“Honestly, thank God I found a home in Portland. I got comfortable with the organization. I got comfortable with the guys on the team. They got comfortable with me.
“At this point in my career, I do think that that’s the best fit for me, the best situation,” he continued.
“Especially having this experience now and kind of just getting my feet wet, coming in and being who I am and staying true to myself. I really hope that it can be Portland at the end of the day where we give ourselves a chance to keep this team together, get guys healthy and get another run at it.”
Bradley Beal kept it real. https://t.co/4l16MVntsC
— Game 7 (@game7__) October 16, 2020
That being said, the chatter regarding him reuniting with the New York Knicks is getting difficult to ignore. It is an open secret at this point that the franchise was preparing to make a serious play for his services last offseason, if they had landed either Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving.
Now, the organization is prepping for another run at some big names – this time some combination of Victor Oladipo, Chris Paul and/or Russell Westbrook. Popular wisdom is that, if New York can nab Paul, Anthony will likely willingly follow. If not, he will probably remain with the Blazers.
One way or the other – Anthony will definitely be playing in the NBA next season. And that is something nobody could have confidently predicted one year ago.
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A graduate from the University of Texas, Anthony Amador has been credentialed to cover the Houston Texans, Dallas Cowboys, San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks and high school games all over the Lone Star State. Currently, his primary beats are the NBA, MLB, NFL and UFC.
