Carmelo Anthony: Knicks’ Tribute ‘big-time’ but ‘bittersweet’

Carmelo Anthony received a mostly warm reception from New York Knicks fans Saturday night in his first game back at Madison Square Garden as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

There were loud cheers for Anthony during his introduction, but also some audible boos.

The club played a tribute video for Anthony before his name was called during the traditional starting lineup introductions. The video showed some of the big shots and highlight games during Anthony’s 6½ seasons in New York and was met with a loud ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd.

Anthony said he was surprised by the video and thanked the organization for the gesture.

“That was big-time, and for me that goes a long way,” Anthony said.

Anthony, 33, also said the video brought a mix of emotions as it reminded him of the Knicks’ shortcomings during his tenure.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling for me — coming back here, knowing the goals that I had, what I wanted to accomplish here and falling short in that category,” he said.

Source: Ian Begley of ESPN