Daily Archives: January 4, 2020

Oscar Colas, the Cuban Ohtani, is coming to MLB and everybody’s going to want him – Yahoo Sports

Posted: January 4, 2020 at 12:46 pm

Every couple of years, theres an international baseball prospect that every fan needs to learn the name of and who becomes the subject of a bidding war. Enter Oscar Colas.

Colas is a 21-year-old two-way player from Cuba who has been called the Cuban Ohtani and is, as of Friday, on his way to Major League Baseball. Hes a 6-foot-1, 209-pound outfielder and pitcher who isbeing calledone of the best prospects from Cuba in years.

Francys Romerofrom MLBsLos Mayoresreports thatColas left Cuba early Fridayand has an MLB contract in his sights. Colas has already played professionally in Japan, hitting .302/.350/.516 over 66 games last season. Hes played pro ball in Cuba since he was 17.

He didnt pitch in Japan, but Colas is a left-hander with a 95 mph fastball according to ESPNs Jeff Passan, who has the early look at Colas market:

The real question, as Passan says, is when Colas signs. July is when a new international signing period opens and teams will have the most international bonus money available. It could take that long for Colas status to get cleared by MLB too, since hell have to establish residency in another country before coming to the U.S. But if that happens quickly, theres a chance a team with leftover international bonus money tries to sign him before July.

The Chicago White Sox, who have been in on most Cuban prospects over the past decade and are building around fellow Cubans Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert and Jose Abreu, figure to be a favorite landing spot. The Angels, who already have the Japanese Ohtani,could be interested.

But it sounds like interest will be wide. Probably not to Ohtani levels, but certainly in line with some of the other Cuban defectors weve seen come to MLB.

Here are a couple of videos on Colas to watch while you hope youre favorite team enters the Colas sweepstakes:

Mike Ozis a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him atmikeozstew@yahoo.comor follow him on Twitter!Follow @mikeoz

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For the Bears and Anthony Miller, the 2020 offseason already feels like dj vu – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 12:46 pm

To give you some perspective on where all the attention lies at Halas Hall: No one on the Bears' offense averaged more yards per reception (12.6) this season than Anthony Miller, and the wide receiver's second shoulder surgery in as many years didn't come up for the first 20 minutes of Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy's end-of-season press conference.

The Bears stayed away from specifics, only saying he hurt the shoulder on a kickoff return in the season finale against the Vikings and was eyeing the start of training camp as a return date. Despite this being the fourth (counting college) time Miller's had anissue with his shoulder, the team says they're still optimistic it's something he can get past.

"This is something that we can get fixed," Pace said. "I know they're confident in the outcome of it. This is new news to us basically just yesterday that he's going to need this surgery. But we don't have any long-term concerns with him."

Miller's stats were better in Year 2, though many around Halas Hall were still frustrated with what they perceived as unfulfilled potential and streaky play. Mental mistakes plagued him early in the season and up until late November, his most notable moment was (kinda unfairly) drawing a lot of public criticism for cutting a route short leading to an interception against the Rams in that 17-7 loss.

Then a switch flipped, and over the next month he proceeded to catch 41 balls for 377 yards and two touchdowns.

"When I'm more involved, I feel like I can make a lot of plays for this team," Miller said after setting a career-high in receptions (9) and yards (140) in the Bears' 24-20 win on Thanksgiving.

"I just think as the season went on he got more comfortable," Pace said. "His dedication to learning it in meetings, away from the facility, I think you felt that. When Anthony knows what he's doing on offense, he plays so fast and he can be such a dynamic part of what we're doing - and that's important going forward. I think as the season went on, you just felt his comfort level improve and our trust in him improve."

Now Miller will be out for all of the Bears' offseason workouts for the second consecutive season. Nagy called the situation "tough," and emphasized that, as always, the team's overarching concerns with the wideout's game have never really been about the physical.

"We've got to make sure that we keep him mentally in it," Nagy said. "And then when we get back to training camp, we pick up from there. I'm really proud of the way that he grew. He needs to continue to keep maturing on the field with some of the stuff post-catch type deals, you know. He's been better at that. I think that his talent is there, and I love his energy. But we want him to keep growing as a player, especially on the field with being smart with that. He's done that."

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2019 Yahoo Sports MMA Fight of the Year – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 12:46 pm

I sat cageside at The Forum in Inglewood, California, on Jan. 26 afterHenry Corrales breathtaking, and seemingly out-of-nowhere, knockout of Aaron Picothinking that if there were any more fights like that, 2019 would be a very good year.

And, yeah, 2019 was a very good year.

The Corrales-Pico fight at Bellator 214 showcased much of what makes mixed martial arts so great. It was Pico, a heavily hyped prospect, being put in a tough test against an unacclaimed but dangerous veteran.

It was Pico showing what made him almost universally regarded as the best prospect to enter the sport in years when he was outstriking Corrales. He dropped Corrales with a crushing right uppercut and went in for the kill.

And then, in another example of MMAs greatness, Corrales bounced up, but he was in obvious trouble. He backed up, momentarily, to regain his senses and began exchanging with Pico, fighting on instinct. Pico landed another right and Corrales was in jeopardy again.

Corrales just kept fighting. He landed a wide right on the butt of Picos chin that turned the tide of the fight, and perhaps of Picos career. He came back with another right that put Pico down, and seconds later, Corrales finished him. He went from being one shot away from being finished himself to ending the fight spectacularly.

If you had to describe what makes MMA so unique and so compelling, that moment would do a pretty good job.

But as good as that fight was, it wasnt the best of the year, which is fortunate for those among us who are MMA fans.

Nothing could come close to topping the action, the momentum swings, the drama, the skill and the pure violence of the interim middleweight title fight betweenIsrael Adesanya and Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 236 in April in Atlanta.

The bout might have been the Fight of the Year if it had ended after four and they didnt bother to fight the fifth and deciding round.

The fifth round was one of those special ones that anyone who was there or who saw it live will never forget.

It was two men putting everything on the line to fight for the biggest prize in their sport. A UFC title is life-changing for most fighters, and both Adesanya and Gastelum fought that bout as if they knew that.

The fifth was a remarkable battle that ended with Adesanya getting the unanimous decision victory.

The drama and sustained action were unmatched, which is why Adesanya-Gastelum is an obvious choice as the 2019 Yahoo Sports Fight of the Year in MMA.

There were many other great bouts in 2019, including Corrales-Pico. Paulo Costa-Yoel Romero was a wildly entertaining scrap at UFC 241, as was the rematch between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway at UFC 236 for the interim lightweight title.

Vicente Luques late knockout of Bryan Barberena was one for the books, as was Luques victory over Mike Perry. And no Fight of the Year list is complete without Donald Cerrone, whose battle against Tony Ferguson at UFC 238 was typically jaw-dropping.

There were many more, but none could match Adesanya-Gastelum.

Thats why its the choice as the 2019 Yahoo Sports MMA Fight of the Year.

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Marshawn Lynchs Beast Quake, as told by a Saint who ‘melted like soft butter’ trying to tackle him – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 12:46 pm

Jabari Greer can still hear the roar. He couldnt quite feel Seattle tremble. But he remembers the noise. The crescendo as Marshawn Lynch bounced off one tackle, then a second, then his. The soundtrack to one of the most iconic runs in NFL history.

He remembers a lot about that day, Jan. 8, 2011, but most of all the play it is known for, because he lived it. He was on the field for it. He played an unfortunate role in it. And because his son wont let him forget.

Greer was a starting cornerback on thatNew Orleans Saintsteam, the one that went to Seattle expecting to win and instead left devastated by the Beast Quake.Now hes an NFL analyst for TSN in Toronto. So occasionally hell make an off-hand comment, reacting to a game. Ooh, that cornerback should make that tackle, he might say.

But where Greer sees innocuous commentary, his teenager sees bait.

Oh, yeah, kinda like you shoulda made that tackle againstMarshawn Lynch, the 15-year-old might shoot back.

Whatever the mischievous joke, Lynch is invariably the punchline. And whenever he is, Greers up-close view of the play is the inescapable context.

WithBeast Mode back in Seattle, and with anotherSeahawksplayoff run near, replays of his legendary moment have returned. As they flooded screens of all kinds across North America, Greer shared his unique perspective with Yahoo Sports. That was one of the top three loudest moments Ive ever experienced in football, he says. It was deafening. It was intimidating. And you knew I kinda felt I was in the middle of something. I was in the middle of something special.

This is the story of Lynchs seismic run, as told by one of the many defensive players who could do nothing about it.

First of all, Greer says, theres no way we should be traveling. Not as an 11-5 menace, with what Greer calls one of our best teams. And certainly not to a 7-9 pretender who snuck into the playoffs out of a feeble division. But rules are rules, and much like the 2019 Seahawks will travel to Philly despite winning two more regular-season games than theEagles, the 2010 Saints hit the road.

Still, though, Greer remembers thinking: Theres no way were gonna lose.

And sure enough, as 10-point favorites, they took an early 17-7 lead. Seattle, after all, wasranked 30th out of 32 teams in DVOA. It had the leagues fourth-worst offense. It had no business being in the playoffs. A 10-point deficit to the defending Super Bowl champs should have drained Qwest Field of any and all hope.

Yet the game suddenly developed into a shootout. Matt Hasselback threw three touchdowns. The Seahawks went up 14, and clung to a four-point lead with under four minutes remaining in the fourth.

Thats when Hasselbeck called 17 Power. Lynchthought, Oh my god, Ive been trying to get a power for so long! Hasselbeck told him to hit it downhill. Lynch did that and much, much more.

Nine years ago, Marshawn Lynch broke away from the New Orleans Saints in one of the most improbable touchdown runs in NFL history. (AP)

The Saints, Greer says, were in zone coverage. He breaks through our defensive line, Greer recalls. And I wonder, like, wow they shoulda made that tackle.

Then, Greer remembers, Lynch breaks through our linebacker corps. And next thing I know, I see him coming straight at me.

Greer, No. 33 in white, had never tackled Lynch before in an official game. He had, though, been teammates and locker-room neighbors with the running back in Buffalo. Theyd come face-to-face in practice. Greer remembers Lynch as someone who turned it on during the game. But you knew that if you brushed up against him in practice, you were gonna feel it.

Still, though, as he collapsed down from his left corner position to meet Lynch ... Im thinking, obviously, its gonna be an easy tackle.

I go and try to make a tackle at like a 45 degree angle, and just literally melt like soft butter, man. And next thing I knew, he keeps on running, and then he stiff arms a teammate of mine, and next thing I know, the stadium is going crazy.

Story continues

Its one of those things where it kinda happened in slow motion. You see all your players missing these tackles, and you wonder, Why cant they get him down? And then you [try to] make the tackle, and you realize Oh, OK. Thats why.

Greer popped back up from the turf in an instant, and continued his pursuit. He thought he might get a second shot. We all took off around him, he remembers. But they had good blocking on the backside. The guys ran with him. And they kinda created a wall.

In the moment, as Lynch leapt over the goal line, Greer says he didnt quite realize how remarkable the play had been. Then he got back to the sideline. And the video boards at Qwest Field did their thing.

Once we saw the replays, we kinda understood the impact, Greer says. As soon as they scored, they would keep on showing replays on the jumbotron over and over and over again. And we see how many times he broke tackles. We see the strength and the force he was running with. It was one of those things where you knew it was gonna be on SportsCenter Top 10 later that day.

They tried to watch it back for educational purposes. But really, the coach didnt have anything to say, Greer recalls. The corrections were, You gotta make the tackle. You gotta make the tackle. There was nothing schematic about Lynchs Beast Mode brilliance.

On the sideline, Greer continues, we were making fun of some of the guys who had a less than fortunate encounter with Marshawn. We all missed. But not everybody looked bad. The guys that looked bad, we kinda poked fun at them a bit.

We were still in the middle of the game. But it kind of built up, the further that we got away from that play, we got to have a little bit more fun with it.

Nine years later, there are no regrets. No sour feelings. I think its more impressive when you kinda remove from it, he explains. It wasnt impressive being there. Because theres so many different emotions that was tied into that. But the more Im removed from it it really is impressive, the further I get away from that guy that missed the tackle.

Most of Greers teammates, understandably, would prefer not to talk about it. Several declined or did not respond to interview requests. Greer, though, has nothing to shy away from. After all, if a reporter didnt remind him about it, his son, whos a Seahawks fan, probably would.

And besides, Greer says, it was kind of pre-destined. He now sees the bigger picture, and what the Seahawks have done since. The Super Bowl and the consistent success. Obviously the organization needed that push, he says. This was Pete Carrolls [first] season. It was the start of the program. It was the start of what they have right now.

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Henry Bushnell is a features writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Question? Comment? Email him at henrydbushnell@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter @HenryBushnell, and on Facebook.

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We’re Denton Dammit: The one where some yahoo takes aim with an air rifle – Denton Record Chronicle

Posted: at 12:46 pm

Denton actor Bryan Patrick didnt have the greatest end of 2019. On Monday, Patrick was walking home when someone near Newton Rayzor Elementary aimed a laser-guided air rifle at him and pulled the trigger.

Patrick, who has always had a lot of pluck, recounted the incident on his Facebook page, and summed it up with: Aim for the head next time ... ! Really, air rifleman, dont. Dont shoot people.

Speaking of the end of the year, the Denton Unitarian Universalist Fellowship invited congregants (and visitors) to a special ritual during worship last Sunday. The Rev. Donna Dolham and Sunnie Palmer led the service, Making Space for the New Year, which ended with a burning bowl ritual. Usually, burning bowl rituals invite people to write down their regrets and then they are burned with others in a metal bowl. The service concluded with the congregation setting their intentions for this year.

Speaking of the fellowship: an anonymous donor has offered to match up to $5,000 in the churchs latest fundraising drive. The drive will fund building maintenance (the church was designed by late Denton architects Tom Polk Miller and Isabelle Mount Miller), music, ministerial search, lifetime faith development programs and more. Anyone who has ever raised money for a church knows how tight things can be. So an offer to match up to $5,000 is not too shabby.

Note to savers, reuse buffs and creatives: SCRAP Denton has announced a series just for you. The local creative reuse nonprofit will launch a sustainable living series, which will feature workshops on how to make reusable items and how to start environmentally sustainable behaviors. Rachel Weaver, executive director of the nonprofit, said the nonprofit has always been about education, even if its best known as a downtown shop that sells donated craft, art and office supplies.

At SCRAP, we believe inspiring sustainable behaviors through education is how we can best support our community in becoming more environmentally conscious, Weaver said. We try to keep our programs, camps and workshops affordable so community members can join us in our sustainability efforts, learn new skills and find interesting ways to use the varied materials found at SCRAP Denton.

Parting Shot

Do you guys think there was a rise in hamburger phone sales after Juno came out? Ive been thinking about this for some time and my therapist isnt back until the 4th.

comedian Josh Johnson, a former Denton resident

Denton Dammit is an old-fashioned gossip column about people, places and things in and around Denton. Send your submissions to Lucinda Breeding at cbreeding@dentonrc.com.

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Inpixon’s CEO Nadir Ali Interviewed Today on Yahoo! Finance LIVE On the Move Program – GlobeNewswire

Posted: at 12:46 pm

PALO ALTO, Calif. and TORONTO, Dec. 30, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inpixon (Nasdaq: INPX), a leading indoor data company that specializes in delivering indoor intelligence, today announced that the Companys Chief Executive Officer, Nadir Ali, appeared as a guest on "On the Move" on Yahoo! Finance LIVE today at approximately 12:45pm, ET. Mr. Ali discussed the Companys indoor intelligence platform and how it relates to shopping malls, including how Inpixons technology enhances the shopper's experience and the retailer's effectiveness. The link to the interview is available on the Companys website at https://inpixon.com/2019/12/30/inpixon-on-yahoo-finance-live-on-the-move-program.

"On the Move", anchored by Adam Shapiro, is a daily Yahoo! Finance show that covers the most important business news of the day, whats driving the markets, and what to expect in the days and weeks ahead.

About Inpixon

Inpixon (Nasdaq: INPX) is an indoor data company that specializes in capturing, interpreting and giving context to indoor data so it can be translated into actionable intelligence. The companys indoor location data platform ingests diverse data from IoT, third-party and proprietary sensors designed to detect and position all active cellular, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices, and uses a proprietary process that ensures anonymity. Paired with a high-performance data analytics engine, patented algorithms, and advanced mapping technology, Inpixons solutions are leveraged by a multitude of industries to do good with indoor data. This multidisciplinary depiction of indoor data enables users to increase revenue, decrease costs, and enhance safety. Inpixon customers can boldly take advantage of location awareness, analytics, sensor fusion and the Internet of Things (IoT) to uncover the untold stories of the indoors. For the latest insights, followInpixon on LinkedIn,Twitter, and visitinpixon.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

All statements in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and the provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. While management has based any forward-looking statements included in this release on its current expectations, the information on which such expectations were based may change. These forward-looking statements rely on a number of assumptions concerning future events and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of the control of Inpixon and its subsidiaries, which could cause actual results to materially differ from such statements. Such risks, uncertainties, and other factors include, but are not limited to, the fluctuation of economic conditions, the performance of management and employees, Inpixons ability to obtain financing, competition, general economic conditions and other factors that are detailed in Inpixons periodic and current reports available for review at sec.gov. Furthermore, Inpixon operates in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment where new and unanticipated risks may arise. Accordingly, investors should not place any reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Inpixon disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, update or revise forward-looking statements.

Inpixon Contact

Media relations and general inquiries:InpixonEmail: marketing@inpixon.comWeb: inpixon.com/contact

Investor relations:Crescendo Communications, LLCTel: +1 212-671-1020Email: INPX@crescendo-ir.com

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Direct-to-consumer entrepreneur explains the importance of physical stores – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 12:46 pm

The childrenswear industry is booming and is set to hit nearly $340 billionby 2024, according to Global Industry Analysts.

And it's not just the big nameretailers like Target (TGT), GapGPS) and Walmart (WMT) that have the edge in the market. A new crop of companies are taking a big slice of the pie.

One such name is Rockets OfAwesome, a direct-to-consumer brand that has caught the attention of celebrity backers like Serena Williams, Gwyneth Paltrow and Kirsten Green of Forerunner Ventures. It most recently received capital fromFoot Locker(FL).

Over the past decade retail has seen a surge in direct-to-consumer companies as companies like Rent The Runway and Stitch Fix (SFIX) gain in popularity. Rockets of Awesome Founder and CEO Rachel Blumenthal says thats in part due to the lower barrier of entry.

I think the beauty of direct-to-consumer is that brands and entrepreneurs have the ability to open and present their product to customers easier than ever before, Blumenthal said in an interview on Yahoo FinancesOn The Move.

Rockets of Awesome CEO Rachel Blumenthal on direct to consumer brands disrupting fashion

Direct-to-consumer companies have increasingly been eyeing physical locations, in effort to give customers a more tangible experience. Its something that Blumenthal says is way to help clear the noise for the consumer.

If you do have the ability to put your product in front of the customer and let them touch and feel it, there is more of a connection with the consumer, she said.

They really understand who you are and decide if they want to be a part of your business or not.

Bridgette Webb is a producer at Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter@bridgetteAwebb.

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Carmelo Anthony makes the most of his return to the Garden – Yahoo Sports

Posted: at 12:45 pm

NEW YORK The Portland Trail Blazers second bus was scheduled to depart Madison Square Garden at 10:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday night, but Carmelo Anthony sounded like a man who wanted to stay.

Anthony relished his return to 4 Pennsylvania Plaza perhaps his final game in the building he once called home. He was showered with applause all evening long, and authoredone more throwback performance for his adoring fans, scoring a season-high 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting to go along with seven rebounds in 31 minutes.

The love was definitely felt tonight, Anthony said after the reeling Blazers lost their fifth in a row, a 117-93 blowout at the hands of the New York Knicks.

The 35-year-old Anthony also made it known that hed like to become the ninth player in Knicks franchise history to have his number retired.

I dont know. Youve gotta ask them, Anthony responded when asked if his No. 7 will be raised to the top of the iconic venues pinwheel ceiling. I did glance up at the rafters a little bit today. They say in life, You gotta envision. So I was definitely envisioning seeing it hanging up there.

Anthonys tenure in New York was filled with ups and downs, trials and tribulations. The apex came in 2012-13, when Anthony averaged 28.7 points and finished third in the MVP voting. The Knicks went 54-28 that season and won their only playoff series in the last two decades.

But New York never got over the hump with Anthony and the beleaguered franchise remains stuck on two NBA championships while facing a massive climb toward contention.

Anthonys isolation-heavy style bothered many. And the losses and coaching changes began to pile up, as did the controversyfrom his Jeremy Lin jealousy to getting ripped by overmatched executive Phil Jackson while trying to flourish in Jacksons antiquated triangle offense.

The Blazers' Carmelo Anthony works against the Knicks' Frank Ntilikina on Wednesday in the Garden. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Still, Anthony was willing to take on the challenge of trying to win in The Big Apple and all the criticism that followed endearing himself to the masses as a result.

I enjoyed it, Anthony said of his six and a half seasons with the Knicks. Ive grown. I think being in this city makes you a specific type of person not a basketball player and for me to embrace that and want that, I think thats why I got the love I got tonight. And I will continue to get that from this city.

Tickets for Melos return werent cheap, going for $200 a pop on the secondary market.

What the hells going on here? Damian Lillard jokingly asked reporters in the Blazers locker room before the game. Theyre waiting for Hoodie Melo.

He misses you guys, C.J. McCollum added. He told me that.

Anthony was cheered from the moment he took the court for pregame warmups. Rousing ovations followed when he was introduced as part of the starting lineup, when he first touched the ball and when he made his first basket on a turnaround jumper.

Welcome Home Carmelo We Missed You, one sign read.

Anthony even wore a firefighter outfit to The Garden with Manhattan R.L.F.D. on his back.

Once a Knick, always a Knick.

He caught fire in the third quarter, hitting four consecutive shots en route to scoring 11 points in the period. And watching him make basket after basket, it was easy to think back to his 62-point performance at MSG on Jan. 24, 2014.

Back to the old days? See, youre aging me now, Anthony joked. I was just playing basketball. I think you guys have been seeing those moves for a long time.

But Portlands offense sputtered with Anthony on the bench to start the fourth, and the game quickly turned into a blowout. The Blazers sit at 14-21, ninth in the Western Conference. Theyre without Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins and Rodney Hood, and have been porous on defense.

Story continues

Mitchell Robinson, drafted by the Knicks with the second-round pick they acquired when they traded Anthony to Oklahoma City, dominated in the pick-and-roll and went 11-of-11 from the field.

We just got outplayed, Lillard said. Whatever they wanted to do, they did it.

We just gotta go through it and figure it out, Anthony said. Nobodys going to figure it out for us.

The Blazers were a desperate team when they took a flier on Anthony. And Anthony was desperate to get back in the NBA after being out of a job and with his best days behind him. Overall, he has been a net positive for Portland, averaging 16.2 points and posting a plus-0.4 efficiency rating in 20 games even if his defense remains subpar.

I always believed in myself, Anthony said. I dont think people understand how difficult that was [for me to come back] and then the fight that I had within myself to be at this point talking to yall.

Anthony said he was prepared for anything from Knicks fans in his return. But they made their feelings clear by showing him love and the feeling was mutual. No, there was never a title. But maybe there will be a jersey retirement ceremony in the future.

I wish we wouldve won, to be honest with you, Anthony said. I just wanted to come in here and have a good game and just play basketball. But of course being back there on that court is special.

Its special, Anthony repeated, with a laugh.

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