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Portland Trail Blazers forward and future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony turned 37 on Saturday, and the crowd at Moda Center made sure to celebrate his special day by singing him “Happy Birthday” during a break in play in the win over the Denver Nuggets. Sam Quinn of CBS Sports notes that while Anthony couldn’t go out and celebrate his special day as one might, the fans made sure he felt the love anyway.
The birthday boy!
Quinn explains that it was a unique moment for Anthony.
It was something of a full-circle moment for Anthony on several levels. Blazers players attempted to recruit him to Portland when he was still an All-Star and had a no-trade clause, but Anthony wasn’t interested in Portland at that point. He only joined the Blazers when he had no other choice, but the fans still embraced him as one of their own.