Melo: I'll always be part of Knicks' culture

You can take Carmelo Anthony out of New York City, but you can't take New York City out of Carmelo Anthony.

For the first time since his offseason trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Anthony returned to Madison Square Garden on Saturday to face his former Knicks team, but he fell short, going scoreless in the second half en route to a 111-96 loss.

Despite the Thunder dropping to 14-15 with the defeat, Melo couldn't help but pour love on the Knicks postgame. When asked to describe the kind of player he hoped Knicks fans remembered him as, Anthony made sure to note his personal ties would help preserve his special connection with the club.

"Somebody who had hopes and dreams of winning a championship here in New York and fell short at that so that's something I'll always hold over my head as far it as it comes to that," he said postgame, courtesy of Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. "But I'll always be kind of part of this culture.

"And for me it's different than any other basketball player who comes through here that plays for the Knicks because it's deeper than basketball."

His love for the team was returned by the Knicks during Saturday's player introductions, as the organization paid tribute to their former All-Star with a video package containing highlights from his stint with New York.

Along with his seven seasons with the Knicks, Anthony also played one year at Syracuse, helping it win its first NCAA championship in 2003.