Carmelo Anthony Wrote ‘NYC ‘Til The End’ In A Farewell Letter To The City

Carmelo Anthony‘s time in New York is over, but it’s clear that the newest Oklahoma City Thunder is going to miss the Big Apple. Anthony was traded to Oklahoma City on Saturday in a move that finally ends his long, strange tenure with the New York Knicks.

Anthony’s exit from New York has felt inevitable for months, but it’s also clear that he didn’t want to leave the city at all. The point guard penned a letter to the city that he published on his website on Monday.

Entitled “Dear New York” it describes the relationship he’s had with New York both before he became an NBA player and after, when he returned to the city as a Knick.

“From the day I first met you, I knew we were meant to be together,” Anthony began. “It was love at first sight.”

Anthony said the city taught him a lot about himself and the world, but now it’s time for him to leave.

Saying Goodbye is the hardest thing to do. I never thought I would, especially to you. No one will ever take your place. It’s hard to find someone like you, so know you will always be missed. You helped me laugh. You dried my tears. Because of you, I have no fears. You came into my life and I was blessed. It’s time to raise my hand and say goodbye. It’s not the end, because like I’ve always said, NYC ‘til the end.

It’s a sad coda on a relationship that had long since been dysfunctional, but it’s clear that strangeness ended once Anthony left Madison Square Garden. He really loves New York. The Knicks, however, are clearly a different story.