Even though he’s by far one of the greatest scorers in the history of the NBA, Carmelo Anthony has never had the chance to play in the NBA Finals. Needless to say, that has always been a stain in his résumé.

Not so long ago, Melo wasn’t even on an NBA roster. He was scapegoated and deemed a toxic presence in the locker room and a ball stopper until he had the chance to silence his critics with the Portland Trail Blazers.

And now that he heads towards the sunset of his career, it seems like he’s finally ready to swallow his pride and team up with other stars to finally win an NBA Championship. And that’s why he joined the Los Angeles Lakers.

Carmelo Anthony Never Thought He’d Be A Laker

So, even if he’s honored to play for such a historied franchise and have the chance to put an end to his championship woes, he recently admitted that he never thought he’d ever play for that team:

“I try to think about it, I try to process it, I know what it means to wear purple and gold just from the history of the game and just following and competing against it and really understanding the true essence of what it means to be a Laker,” Anthony told FanNation. “But never have I thought that I would be wearing purple and gold. Especially at this point in time of my career, but hey, everything happens for a reason, and I believe that.”

Carmelo was often tied to big-market teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. Then again, it seems like it was never an actual possibility for him. Now, ironically, one of those teams gave him the best shot to win his very first ring once and for all.