National Basketball Association

Carmelo Anthony's return to Denver is a cold one in Blazers' series vs. Nuggets

Updated May. 25, 2021 1:06 a.m. ET

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The Portland Trail Blazers' first-round series against the Denver Nuggets represents a homecoming of sorts for Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony.

But if Game 1 was any indication, he might not be welcomed back home with arms that open.

The Blazers went on the road to beat the Nuggets 123-109 in the series opener, and Anthony played a big role in the victory, pouring in 18 points in just 22 minutes off the bench, showing the type of scoring prowess that highlighted his time in Denver.

He was also jeered every time he touched the ball.

Anthony was previously 0-10 on the road in games against the franchise that drafted him, meaning he picked up his first win in Denver as a member of the opposing team on Saturday.

After the game, Anthony spoke about the treatment from his former home crowd while reflecting on his time with the Nuggets.

While Anthony's Game 1 performance drew the ire of the Nuggets home crowd, his Game 2 performance gave them reason to cheer, scoring just five points in 21 minutes of play.

Still, he figures to play a key role in this series, and his matchup with the franchise that brought him into the NBA remains one of the most fascinating in the first round of the playoffs.

Selected by the Nuggets with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Anthony immediately transformed the franchise upon his arrival, leading the team to the playoffs in his rookie season.

It was the franchise's first postseason berth since the 1994-95 season, and it marked the beginning of seven consecutive postseason trips the Nuggets made with Anthony, culminating in a 2009 Western Conference finals appearance.

During his seven-and-a-half seasons with the franchise, Anthony averaged 24.8 points per game, racking up 13,970 career points in Denver, which ranks third all time behind the tallies of Dan Issel (16,589) and Alex English (21,645).

But while he has a résumé that stacks up with those of the best players to ever play in the Mile High City, apparently the fans don't believe they owe Melo any love – maybe due to the fact that he forced a trade to the New York Knicks in the middle of the 2010-11 season.

Anthony's former coach George Karl believes that Nuggets fans are within their rights to still harbor ill feelings toward the former star, as he tweeted during Game 1 on Saturday.

According to Keyshawn Johnson, any remaining love certainly won't be shown during a playoff series in which Anthony is on the opposing team, as he broke down on ESPN's "KJZ."

"He didn't want to be there. Fans act like they own you. They have a right to say, do, treat, whatever it is – because you're theirs. And the moment that you reject them, they feel hurt, and that pain lasts forever."

The Nuggets themselves didn't take Anthony's departure kindly.

The star's seven-year tenure with the franchise was seemingly worthy of having his jersey in the rafters, but the organization instead bestowed Anthony's No. 15 to second-round draft pick Nikola Jokic in 2014. Jokic has since sculpted an impressive career of his own in his seven seasons with the team, which could reach a new peak with an impending MVP award on his horizon.

Still, when Jokic received the jersey, he was no more than a second-round pick.

Although no longer a member of the Nuggets, in the midst of this first-round playoff matchup, Anthony has another chapter to write in his story with the franchise.

In doing so, he could remind the city and the fans of what he once was for them – while breaking their hearts once more.

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National Basketball Association

Portland Trail Blazers

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Carmelo Anthony

Nikola Jokic