Carmelo Anthony expressed his love and appreciation for New York in a letter posted to his website Monday morning.
The trade that sent the 33-year-old Anthony to the New York Knicks from the Oklahoma City Thunder became official on Monday.
“From the day I first met you, I knew we were meant to be together,” Anthony wrote in the letter published to thisismelo.com and entitled “Dear New York.”
The deal, in which Doug McDermott, Enes Kanter and the Chicago Bulls’ 2018 second round draft pick head to New York, ends Anthony’s six-and-a-half-year tenure in New York. The 14-year veteran was traded there from Denver during the 2010-11 season.
“The one thing I kept telling myself was ‘Make my mark in NYC and I’d be a made man,’” Anthony wrote. “New York equipped me to make it in any other place in the world. It taught me how to Be Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable. Saying Goodbye is the hardest thing to do. I never thought I would, especially to you. No one will ever take your place.
“It’s hard to find someone like you, so know you will always be missed. You helped me laugh. You dried my tears. Because of you, I have no fears. You came into my life and I was blessed. It’s time to raise my hand and say goodbye. It’s not the end, because like I’ve always said, NYC ‘til the end.”
The Knicks reached the post-season three times with Anthony, never advancing past the Eastern Conference semifinals.
He joins a reloaded Thunder roster that also features Paul George and Russell Westbrook.
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