Carmelo Anthony has returned to Denver, the city where his NBA career started, plenty of times since the blockbuster trade that sent the 6-7 forward to the New York Knicks back in 2011. But with the Trail Blazers drawing the Nuggets in the three/six matchup in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs, this will be the first time that Anthony, who was selected by the Nuggets with the third overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft, has faced his first pro team in the postseason.
So for Anthony, the series versus the Nuggets, which tips off Saturday night at Ball Arena, serves as as a reminder of where he’s been and how far he’s come since entering the NBA as a fresh-faced 19 year-old.