Carmelo Anthony says he REALLY appreciates the loud ovation he got from Knicks fans Wednesday during his return to Madison Square Garden ... saying, "Real know the real!"
The Portland Trail Blazers star hadn't played at MSG since Dec. 2017 -- after the Knicks traded him to the OKC Thunder.
Of course, OKC eventually waived Melo. He had a short stint with the Rockets and then spent months unemployed before eventually signing with Portland in Nov. 2019.
Now, 35-year-old Melo is back to balling out .