Carmelo Anthony explained his choice to switch to jersey No. 00 in his new venture with the Portland Trail Blazers, now set to debut on Tuesday against the New Orleans Pelicans.
Now a year and 11 days removed from the last time he played in an NBA floor, the perennial scorer looks to redeem a 1-of-11 performance that nearly marked the end of his career in the league.
Melo took to Instagram to explain the odd choice to opt for the now-rare double zero:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B5DkscogyMm/?igshid=1ant3qh20qlpg
Melo has worn different numbers throughout his career, starting with No. 22 during his high school days at Oak Hill Academy, then switching to No. 15 in Syracuse and carrying that along for the first eight years of his NBA career with the Denver Nuggets.
The major switch came in 2011 when he opted for No. 7 once he was traded to the New York Knicks — one that he has kept in his last two stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets.
The change to No. 00 represents a new start for Melo after more than 12 months of spiritual self-evaluation and a new chance to find his footing in a league that seemed to have cast him out.
The Blazers had retired No. 15 for guard Larry Steele, who was part of Portland's 1977 championship team while no one has worn No. 7 since Brandon Roy retired for the first time in 2011. Upon returning from retirement, Roy wanted to play for the Blazers, but couldn't due to a rule in the league's collective bargaining agreement, forcing him to sign with one of the 29 other teams.
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