Powell on Melo’s Impact, “I Just Looked Up to Melo so Much”

Carmelo Anthony’s journey to No. 10 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list has captured admiration from both fans and players. Among his Melo’s teammates with the Portland Trail Blazers, Norman Powell was not shy about explaining the impact that the former Nuggets and Knicks star had on his game.

Powell discussed Melo’s influence in a conversation with The Athletic’s Jason Quick. According to the 27-year-old guard, his admiration for Melo developed at an early age.

“I remember wanting to be like Melo,” said Norman Powell, who is now Anthony’s teammate in Portland. “I remember begging my mom to get his shoes. I had the all-white and light blue Melo’s, with an all-blue matching outfit when I was in middle school. Wore the corn-rows straight back, with a headband, just like Melo.”

Outside of image, Powell also explained that he respected how Melo could deliver points in multiple ways.

“Yeah, man, I just looked up to Melo so much,” Powell said. “I loved his game. I would always be practicing his quick one-dribble pull-up and the midrange. I think he paved the way for a lot of kids growing up, we all wanted to be like Melo because he could give you a bucket in any way possible — in the post, the 3-point line, driving and dunking.”

Since arriving in Portland at the trade deadline, Powell has suited up alongside Melo for 21 games.

You can check out Quick’s full in-depth feature on Melo at The Athletic (subscription required).