Several notable basketball personalities have expressed their joy over the news that Carmelo Anthony is signing with the Portland Trail Blazers. NBA Hall of Famer Allen Iverson is the latest to congratulate Melo and even applauded the Blazers’ organization for giving him a chance to restart his career.
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Iverson and Anthony formed a high-scoring duo as teammates with the Denver Nuggets from 2006-09.
The one-time league MVP was shipped to Denver in 2006 alongside Ivan McFarlin in exchange for Andre Miller, Joe Smith, and two first-round picks in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Iverson was the league’s second leading scorer at the time of the trade, while his new teammate Anthony held the number spot.
The cornrow-sporting duo quickly learned how to adapt to each other’s game and managed to compliment one another, as Iverson finished the season with a 26.4 scoring average, while Melo wasn’t far behind with 25.7.
But their partnership did not translate to playoff success for the Nuggets, as Iverson was traded to the Detroit Pistons in 2008, while Melo teamed up with another All-Star caliber point guard Chauncey Billups.
Now at 35 years old, Anthony gets another chance to team up with a pair of high-scoring guards in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. Anthony is no longer the same player who can put up 20+ points per on any give night, but he is somehow expected to address some of Portland’s scoring concerns – particularly at the wing position.
Iverson, meanwhile, was inducted in the Naismith Hall of Fame as part of the 2016 class.
