“I Had To Own It”: Carmelo Anthony on How He Found “Peace” After a Depressing Season with the Houston Rockets

Even though he’s yet to retire, Carmelo Anthony has already established himself as a legend. Melo is undoubtedly a generational talent, who dazzled the league upon his entry in 2003. He’s played for five different teams including his current stint with the Trail Blazers. A disappointing season with the Houston Rockets in 2018 might be the most depressing run in Melo’s career. 

Anthony signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017, who decided to trade him to the Atlanta Hawks after just one year. Following the trade, the Hawks shortly waived him, making Melo a free agent. After a month, Melo signed with the Rockets in a one-year deal that was worth $2.4 million. 

It was a veteran’s minimum contract, and it didn’t work out the way either party wanted it to. Carmelo Anthony suffered a challenging time with the Rockets, where he was given very limited playing time. Melo was on the roster for the entire season, but played no more than ten games for the Rockets. 

How Melo found peace after the disastrous stint with the Houston Rockets

When people thought Melo was finished, the 36-year-old then moved on and signed a one-year deal with the Blazers, where he’s now putting up vintage performances. The 10-time NBA All-Star recently sat down for an interview ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth, where he revealed how he got through the difficult phase with the Rockets and how he found the motivation to come back. 

“I had to own it. I had to own that situation,” Melo began. “Own it. Know what happened, and learn from it and move on. There were so many lessons that I learned throughout that time,” he stated. 

“I’ve only been in Houston for nine games, right? Two months. But it took me about a year to bounce back and to find my peace and own it and acknowledge it and face it,” Melo continued. “I think that’s why I’m able to be at peace today with that situation and where I’m at just in my career.” 

It certainly takes a lot of courage to move on from a team that didn’t utilize your full potential. Carmelo Anthony drove himself to find the motivation, and look where he is now. “Skinny Melo” is proving to be an inspiration for the young Blazers team, serving as an experienced veteran who can chip in during crunch moments.