Too often over the last 10 years, the NBA has seen some of its all time great scorers fizzle out of the league, leaving without fanfare as they toiled on the end of benches and barely received playing time, a far cry from the must-see TV they provided fans with during their best seasons.
Allen Iverson, Hall of Famer and a former MVP who collected four scoring titles, finished his NBA career with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers in 2009, before heading off to Turkey to quench his last bit of competitive thirst. In Memphis, he averaged 22 minutes. In Philadelphia he averaged 32, more of a thank you from the 76er organization than anything. Gilbert Arenas, who in his prime was a near 30 point per game scorer, averaged 4.2 points per game in a little over 12 minutes per contest, while appearing in just 17 games in 2011-12 with the Grizzlies. And Tracy McGrady, scorer extraordinaire with an automatic pull up jump shot and a penchant for scoring in bunches (think 13 points in 35 seconds vs the Spurs in '04), watched helplessly on the San Antonio Spurs bench as the Miami Heat hoisted their second consecutive title in 2013. Prior to the Spurs, McGrady had stints in New York and Atlanta.
Those three didn't end the way they envisioned, but at least they got one final chance - closure, leaving the game knowing that they had given it all they could give and simply couldn't hang anymore. Their examples are why Carmelo Anthony signing last night with the Portland Trail Blazers was a move that was deserving and just. And long overdue.
Anthony, 35 and a 10-time all-star, was let go by the Houston Rockets after 10 games a season ago, where he averaged 13.4 points in 29.4 minutes. Occasionally, he showed flashes - 22 points versus Utah, 24 versus the Clippers, and 28 versus the Nets - of what he was during his peak as one of the league's all-time bucket getters. It is why the fact that he remained unsigned throughout all of last season, the summer, and the first month of this season was so perplexing. Questions arose as to whether he was being blackballed, and the odd video clip of him working out and showing out in pick up games with current NBA players were going viral. While lesser talent was being signed, Carmelo remained on the open market, a Hall of Famer seemingly unable to find a team that would take him in and give him an opportunity.
Simply put, Anthony was too talented of a player to be left to have his NBA career just fade to black without any chance to contribute to a team that could use him. The Trail Blazers, with one of the game's top back courts in Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, can use a third source of scoring, and Anthony can provide that. He proved just last season that he can still fill it up on occasion. He is no longer a starter, and will be one of the first guys off of the Blazer bench. How will he look after a year off? Will he prove he can still get it done, or show that he can get it done no more?
We don't know and will have to wait for that answer. But at least he got his shot.
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