Morey commissioned Carmelo artwork from Deadpool creator in 2014
Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey had long coveted Carmelo Anthony prior to signing him on Monday.
As part of a recruitment pitch to bring the All-Star forward to the Lone Star State in 2014, Morey reached out to comic book artist Rob Liefeld - the man behind popular Marvel characters Deadpool, Cable, and the X-Force - to commission a piece of original artwork.
This Rockets-themed piece was designed to entice Anthony on the idea of forming a new Big 3 alongside James Harden, and Dwight Howard.
This post by my favorite penciller @robertliefeld (creator of Deadpool) is one illustration on how long we have been working on @carmeloanthony pic.twitter.com/AhUjDyQYSa
— Daryl Morey (@dmorey) August 13, 2018
The illustration didn't do much good at the time, as Anthony decided to re-sign with the New York Knicks on a new five-year contract.
Fast forward to present day, and the now 34-year-old Anthony joins Houston on a one-year deal worth just $2.4 million following a buyout with the Atlanta Hawks that teams him with both Harden and close friend Chris Paul.