The Portland Trail Blazers made their preseason debut on Friday in a matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Carmelo Anthony decided to turn the clock a bit against the Kings, as he brought back his familiar braids from his rookie year some 17 years ago.

It worked wonders for the 10-time All-Star, who just couldn't miss in the opening moments of the contest.

First, a look at the “Braids Melo”:

Anthony came off the bench in the first quarter, and he made an instant impact for the Blazers the moment he entered the court:

The 36-year-old veteran looked like he was in mid-season form already, as he drained jumper after jumper. At one point, it did look like the Denver Nuggets Melo from 2003.

More than a few folks reacted to Anthony's explosion for the Blazers on Friday, including three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner Jamal Crawford:

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Crawford was quick to remind the critics about how they had already counted Carmelo Anthony out after a tumultuous 2018-19 season. More than a few folks believed that Anthony was done at that point in his career, so kudos to him for coming back stronger than ever after what was undeniably the most challenging period of his 17-year NBA career.

Last season with the Blazers, Melo averaged 15.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists, while also connecting on 1.5 triples per game on an efficient 38.5 percent clip. Portland clearly liked what they saw from him last term and decided to reward him with a one-year extension for $2.6 million. That's already looking like a bargain for Portland.