Max Strus: Carmelo Anthony’s eyes lit up when he saw me check in with the Bulls

Max Strus had a funny story of former Portland Trail Blazer Carmelo Anthony giving him a welcome to the NBA moment early on in his career with the Chicago Bulls.

(via Locked On Cavs Podcast):

Danny Cunningham: “Do you have a welcome to the NBA moment that you look back at as kinda your wake-up call that you made it there?”

Strus: “A welcome to the NBA moment… My first time I checked into a game was in Portland when I was on the Bulls on a two-way, and I checked in for like maybe 30 seconds. I don’t even know, but in that time span Carmelo Anthony was on the Trail Blazers and his eyes lit up when he saw me and somehow I got switched on to him and he was doing his, ‘Woo! Woo! I need the ball!’ So, it was an immediate ISO. But luckily, somebody else fouled somebody on their side of the court, so we didn’t get to it. And then, I got taken out of the game within 30 seconds. So I think that was probably the one time I was like, ‘All right, Carmelo’s trying to go at me. I’m here now.’ So, definitely one of those moments.”