As Anthony told The Athletic: “I got the call saying, ‘Portland is interested, what are you thinking?’ I just said, ‘Look, I’ve been in this situation before. Just tell me when it’s something we can really make happen. Tell me when it’s real.’ “It really wasn’t any conversations. I was continuing to go on with life and hanging with my fam and doing my other business ventures. Then Dame called me. CJ (McCollum) called me. Zach called me. Everybody, a lot of people texted me and called me. But it had to be something that I felt comfortable with and that they felt comfortable with. We got on the phone, got comfortable and went from there.”