CHICAGO — Carmelo Anthony was thrilled on the night of Feb. 22, 2011. Raymond Felton was crushed.
After signing as a free agent with the Knicks in the summer of 2010, Felton was dealt to Denver by Donnie Walsh in the controversial package that brought Anthony to the Garden. The Nuggets visit the Garden tonight, and Felton couldn’t be happier to be wearing the Knicks’ orange and blue.
Felton admitted yesterday he felt ill after the trade. At the end of the 2010-11 season, he asked the Nuggets for a trade, and it has come full circle for Felton. He’s back as the Knicks starting point guard, leading their stunning surge to the top of the Eastern Conference.
“I was sick,’’ Felton said before last night’s 93-85 loss to the Bulls at United Center. “I never wanted to leave New York. At the same time, I had to do my job.’’
Felton’s popularity grows by the day, particularly with him playing with a bruised left thumb — he had 27 points and five assists but shot just 9 of 30 in last night’s loss — while Anthony sat again with a middle-finger laceration. Anthony figures to suit up against the Nuggets tonight, but it is Felton — benched upon his Rocky Mountain arrival — who should have revenge on his mind.
“Coach [George] Karl and I were cool,’’ Felton said. “I respected his decision. He wanted to go with Ty Lawson as his main guy at the point guard. I respected that. As a young guy, I couldn’t accept that role at the time. I felt I was still a starter. We had a great talk after the season. They respected my wishes and traded me out there to Portland. That situation didn’t quite work out and I’m back home. This is home now.’’
As the July 1 free-agency period approached, The Post reported Felton’s desire to return to New York for a second stint. His friends say despite his roots in Latta, S.C., he has the mannerisms of a gritty New Yorker, and has proven that again recently.
With Anthony missing in action in Miami on Thursday, Felton carried the Knicks with a 27-point, seven-assist barrage despite banging his hand multiple times in the 112-92 win before yesterday’s drop-off.
Felton removed his padded wrapping in the second half of Wednesday’s game in Charlotte and is willing to absorb the consequences. He also admitted he is not sure if the bruised hand will get better anytime soon.
“It really ain’t going to heal,’’ Felton said. “It’s going to continue to get banged up. … I can’t worry about it. I have to continue to get treatment.’’
The Knicks’ victory in Miami — without Anthony — has the club the TV talk of the league, with Magic Johnson even piping in the Knicks could even be title contenders.
“Honestly, I turned it off,’’ Felton said of the national buzz about the Knicks. “I want no distractions. I want us to stay focused. I don’t want that in my head. I want them still saying we ain’t going to be no contender and we continue to prove people wrong.’’
Felton has proven all the Jeremy Lin supporters wrong for being distraught in July when the Knicks chose Felton over Linsanity, despite evidence Felton was primed for a better season. Lin was coming off knee surgery and hadn’t proven himself for more than a 30-game stretch.
Felton’s stock had slipped in Portland because of a lousy season during which he was overweight. He dropped some 20 pounds and declared on Day 1 of training camp he had a “big, big chip on my shoulder.’’
“The chip’s still there, not going anywhere,’’ Felton said. “I still want to get better. It’s not about me. It’s about the team. My chip is going to stay there. And if it stays there, I’m going to stay more aggressive. My chip is there and it’s not small. It’s the most focused I’ve been in a long time, since coming into the league as a rookie. That’s my mindset.’’
Felton finds it humorous he is considered one of the young players on the club.
“That’s the maturity level,’’ Felton said. “You talk about me being one of the younger guys on the team and I’m 28, been in the league eight years. We have guys who have been through a lot.’’