Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony will not change to No. 7 despite previously indicating his desire to switch back to his old number with the New York Knicks.
The number was previously worn by Brandon Roy, who said Monday he would be “honored” to see Anthony donning the No. 7 jersey. But Carmelo will not be changing numbers, saying Wednesday that it would be a costly decision at this juncture:
“It's too much money involved,” Carmelo Anthony said, via Sean Highkin of Bleacher Report. “Too many jerseys have already been ordered.”
Indeed, the Blazers have probably been pumping out merchandise after re-signing Anthony this fall. That does not mean ‘Melo would not like to rock No. 7, however.
Portland has not handed out the No. 7 jersey since Roy retired in 2011 due to knee issues.
The former Blazers star was on his way to becoming one of the best players in the league prior to sustaining debilitating knee injuries. With that, he's often considered as one of the biggest “What If” stories in NBA history. Not to mention, Roy is something of a folks hero in Portland.
Anthony is garnering a similar reputation in the twilight of his career.
The Blazers signed Carmelo last year to account for the losses of Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins in the frontcourt, and the former scoring champion ingrained himself as a key rotation fixture while also providing veteran leadership.
Portland re-upped with Anthony, with general manager Neil Olshey singing his praises and point guard Damian Lillard suggesting Carmelo was vital to the team's culture.
Anthony might not be wearing No. 7, but he hardly even needs a jersey to be recognized by fans and teammates as a crucial piece to this Portland team.
Follow Us
Subscribe