Carmelo Anthony — the newest member of the Portland Trail Blazers, which became official on Tuesday — has worn the same two numbers for his NBA career: Nos. 15 (in Denver) and 7 (with the Knicks, Thunder and Rockets).
So when it came time to pick a jersey number in Portland, he ended up with … 00.
No. 15 is unavailable because it belonged to Larry Steele, the guard whose number is in the Moda Center because it’s been retired.
But there’s a more complicated story with No. 7.
That was the number that belonged to Brandon Roy, the guard who looked like a bona fide superstar in the making with the Blazers until injuries completely derailed his career and forced him into early retirement.
Since then, no one has worn No. 7 even though it’s not retired:
That’s right — Mo Williams went with 25 instead of the initial 7, although he claimed it wasn’t because of the backlash that came with the choice. And that’s an interesting report about Skal Labissiere.
It appears that’s the reason:
For what it’s worth: the Blazers should retire the number instead of just holding it “in honor” of Roy. Here, watch some highlights:
