Carmelo Anthony made his highly anticipated debut with the Portland Trail Blazers against the New Orleans Pelicans. After the game, the future Hall of Famer expressed his gratitude towards the organization.

“The greatest feeling of all was to feel wanted by a group of guys who believe in me and my talent and what I can bring to the game,” Anthony said, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. “It wasn’t just the players. It was the coaching staff. They really showed a strong level of belief in me and what I can still do.”

The Blazers and Anthony came to an agreement last week, which paved the way for the latter's signing of a non-guaranteed, one-year deal. The signing came in after almost a year of Anthony's search for an NBA team that is willing to accommodate him.

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The whole search became a topic of controversy and mystery. After all, why would Anthony — one of the best scorers in history — have a hard time locking in a deal with a team? Though he's well past his prime, Anthony can surely have a solid role for any team.

Fortunately, all the drama is over and Anthony is now back in the NBA. His debut wasn't the prettiest. He chipped in 10 points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field and 2-of-3 from deep in a loss. However, he is more determined than ever to showcase that he's not done yet.

The Blazers gave him the opportunity he wanted. Don't expect him to take this for granted.