Carmelo Anthony

Early life

Anthony was born in the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, New York City. His father, Carmelo Iriarte, was born in Manhattan to Puerto Rican parents. Iriarte was of African, Spanish, and indigenous ancestry; some of his roots also traced to Venezuela. His mother, Mary Anthony, is African-American. Iriarte died of cancer when Anthony was two years old. When Anthony turned eight, his family moved to Baltimore.

Anthony commuted to Towson Catholic High School for his first three years of high school. During the summer of 1999, Anthony grew 5 inches (130 mm) into the frame of a 6-foot-5-inch (1.96 m) swingman. He became one of the area's top players and made a name for himself in the area, being named The Baltimore Sun's metro player of the year in 2001, as well as Baltimore Catholic League player of the year. During his sophomore year, he averaged 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Towson Catholic surged to a record of 26–3 and finished third in the state tournament. Anthony enjoyed a successful high school basketball career as a junior, almost doubling his numbers in scoring and rebounds, averaging 23 points and 10.3 rebounds. Despite his successful year, Anthony was distracted by all of the attention and was suspended on several occasions for skipping classes. He barely registered a blip on the radars of pro scouts with his skinny frame and lack of strength; many scouts felt that he was not ready for the physical demands of the NBA. In the end, Towson Catholic fell short of the state title, although he was named Baltimore's County Player of the Year, All-Metropolitan Player of the Year and Baltimore Catholic League Player of the Year.

After his junior year, Division I coaches were lined up to recruit Anthony to a school on the East Coast, which included North Carolina and Syracuse. In contrast to contemporary prep-to-pro players like Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady or Amar'e Stoudemire, he decided to declare early and announce that he would attend Syracuse University before his senior year. As Anthony's grades dropped under a C average and his scores on the ACT were below acceptable standards, he knew that he needed to improve in the classroom to qualify academically for Syracuse. For his senior year, his mother considered transferring him to a different school. Anthony first thought of Virginia's Hargrave Military Academy but after talking to Steve Smith, the head coach at basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy, he eventually transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia—winner of the USA Today 2000–01 high school championship—for his senior campaign. During the summer of 2001, Anthony led an AAU Baltimore Select team to the Final Four of the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada. Anthony attracted attention from the NBA by averaging 25.2 points a game in the tournament, which was also attended by Amar'e Stoudemire (who was already being touted as a future lottery pick). Anthony played at the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival where he helped the East Team win the silver medal. He tied LeBron James for the tournament scoring lead at 24 points per game and shot 66 percent from the field. It was there that Anthony and James struck up a friendship.

College career

Anthony played one season at Syracuse University, during the 2002–03 season, where he averaged 22.2 points (16th in the NCAA, fourth in the Big East) and 10.0 rebounds (19th in the NCAA, third in the Big East, first among NCAA Division I freshmen). He helped guide the Orangemen to their first ever NCAA tournament title in 2003. He led the team in scoring, rebounding, minutes played (36.4 minutes per game), field goals made and free throws made and attempted. Anthony's 33-point outburst against the University of Texas in the Final Four set an NCAA tournament record for most points by a freshman. In the championship game against the University of Kansas, Anthony had 20 points and 10 rebounds. For his efforts during the NCAA tournament, Anthony earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award. Afterwards, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim described Anthony as "[...] by far, the best player in college basketball. It wasn't even close. Nobody was even close to him last year in college basketball. That's the bottom line".

Anthony said that he originally planned to stay at Syracuse for two to three seasons, but having already accomplished everything he set out to do, he chose to abandon his collegiate career (with Boeheim's blessing) and declared himself eligible for the 2003 NBA draft. Some of Anthony's highlights in his time with Syracuse include being named Second-Team All-American by the Associated Press as a freshman, leading his team to a 30–5 record, capturing the school's first ever NCAA title and being the consensus pick for NCAA Freshman of the Year. He was also named to the All-Big East First Team and was the consensus selection for the Big East Conference Freshman of the Year as well as unanimous selection for Big East All Rookie Team.

Professional career

Denver Nuggets (2003–2011)

Anthony's NBA career began on June 26, 2003, when he was chosen third overall in the 2003 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets. He was selected behind LeBron James (first overall, Cleveland Cavaliers) and Darko Miličić (second overall, Detroit Pistons). He made his NBA regular season debut on October 29, 2003, in an 80–72 home win against the San Antonio Spurs. Anthony finished the night with 12 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. In just his sixth career NBA game (November 7 versus the Los Angeles Clippers), Anthony scored 30 points, becoming the second youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points or more in a game (19 years, 151 days; Kobe Bryant was the youngest). It was the fewest games a Nuggets rookie took to score 30 points in a contest since the ABA–NBA merger. On February 9, 2004, against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony became the third-youngest player to reach the 1,000-point plateau in NBA history with a 20-point effort in an 86–83 win.

On February 13, 2004, Anthony participated in the Got Milk? Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend. On March 30, 2004, he scored 41 points against the Seattle SuperSonics to set a new Denver Nuggets franchise record for most points in a game by a rookie. He also became the second-youngest player (19 years, 305 days) to score at least 40 points in a game in NBA history. After winning the Rookie of the Month award for the Western Conference in the month of April, Anthony became the fourth player in NBA history to capture all six of the Rookie of the Month awards in a season. The others to do so were David Robinson, Tim Duncan and fellow rookie LeBron James. Anthony was also named NBA Player of the Week twice (March 10, 2004 – March 14, 2004, and April 6, 2004 – April 10, 2004) and was a unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection. Anthony averaged 21.0 points per game during the season, which was more than any other rookie. Anthony was second in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting, finishing runner-up to the Cavaliers rookie standout, James.

Anthony played a major part in the turnaround of the Denver Nuggets from league laughingstock to playoff contender. In the season before Anthony was drafted by the team, the Nuggets finished with a 17–65 record, which tied them for worst in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They finished the 2003–04 season with a 43–39 overall record, qualifying them as the eighth seed for the playoffs. Anthony became the first NBA rookie to lead a playoff team in scoring since David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs during the 1989–90 season. In the 2004 NBA playoffs, the Nuggets faced the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. In Anthony's first career playoff game, he had 19 points, six rebounds, and three assists, in a 106–92 loss at Minnesota. The Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets in five games.

New York Knicks (2011–2017)

On February 22, 2011, Anthony, along with point guard Chauncey Billups, was traded to the New York Knicks in a multi-player deal also involving the Minnesota Timberwolves. With a potential labor stoppage looming, immediately prior to the trade Anthony signed a veteran-max three-year, $65 million extension through the 2014–15 season. With the Knicks, Anthony chose to wear number 7, as his former number 15 was retired by the Knicks in honor of Earl Monroe and Dick McGuire. He chose that number because his son was born on March 7, and because 7 was the result of subtracting his number in Denver, 15, from his high school number of 22. Anthony's first game with the Knicks was a 114–108 win against the Milwaukee Bucks in which he scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds and an assist. After Anthony's acquisition, the Knicks qualified for the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference and were matched up against the Boston Celtics. During the series, the Knicks struggled with injuries as Amar'e Stoudemire and Billups went down. In game two of the NBA playoffs in Boston, Anthony tied a playoff career high with 42 points and also had 17 rebounds and six assists in a Knicks loss. The Knicks fell to the Boston Celtics in four games in the first round of the playoffs.

The 2011–12 season brought new expectations, as the season would be Anthony's first full season as a Knick. The Knicks struggled throughout the season, as injuries derailed the team. Anthony himself missed 11 games; during this stretch, the Knicks inserted Jeremy Lin as the team's starting point guard. This led to a historic stretch of games by Lin, and a period of basketball hysteria known as Linsanity. However, the team found themselves with an 18–24 record, leading to the resignation of coach Mike D'Antoni. Anthony was assumed to have a role in the coach's departure, as he was not a good fit in D'Antoni's high paced offense. Mike Woodson took over for D'Antoni; this led to an improvement in Anthony's play, as he was more suited for Woodson's halfcourt offense. On Easter Sunday, Anthony had arguably his best game in a Knicks uniform as he scored 43 points and hit two clutch three-pointers in a victory over Chicago. Under Woodson, the Knicks finished the season at 18–6, a vast improvement from the 18–24 record they had under D'Antoni.

The Knicks qualified for the playoffs as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, and faced off against the eventual champions, the Miami Heat. During the series, the Knicks were hampered by injuries as they were a season before. Tyson Chandler was diagnosed with the flu for game 1, Iman Shumpert tore his ACL, Baron Davis tore his patella tendon, and All-Star Amar'e Stoudemire sustained a laceration on his hand after punching a fire extinguisher out of anger after a loss. In addition, Jeremy Lin had torn his left meniscus before the playoffs started. Despite the injuries, Anthony was able to lead the Knicks to their first playoff win since 2001. In the game, Anthony scored 41 points. The Knicks were eventually eliminated in five games, 4–1. Anthony was voted to the All-NBA Third Team for the fourth time in his career alongside teammate Tyson Chandler.

Oklahoma City Thunder (2017–2018)

On November 9, 2017, with only 12 points needed to move up in the rankings, Anthony passed Allen Iverson on the NBA all-time scoring list and moved to the 24th spot. He finished the game with 28 points. On November 26, 2017, Anthony passed Ray Allen on the NBA all-time scoring list and moved to 23rd place. On December 11, 2017, Anthony passed Vince Carter for 22nd on the NBA all-time scoring list.

On January 27, 2018, Anthony became the 21st NBA player to score 25,000 career points. In addition, he has 1,693 playoff points.

On March 19, 2018, in a 132–125 victory over the Toronto Raptors, Anthony scored 15 points to up his career total to 25,289, thereby moving past Reggie Miller into 19th place in the NBA career scoring ladder.

On July 25, 2018, the Thunder traded Anthony to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade in which they acquired Dennis Schröder from the Hawks and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot from the Philadelphia 76ers. The trade was widely seen as a cost-cutting move, as it saved the Thunder tens of millions of dollars in luxury tax payments. On July 30, Anthony accepted a contract buyout from the Hawks, and was subsequently placed on waivers.

Houston Rockets (2018–2019)

On August 13, 2018, Anthony signed a one-year, $2.4 million veterans minimum contract with the Houston Rockets coached by his former Knicks coach, Mike D'Antoni. On November 15, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey announced that the team was "parting ways" with Anthony, but had not released him. He played ten games for Houston, starting twice, but he was held out of the last three for what the club called an unspecified "illness." During that absence, much of his playing time went to rookie Gary Clark. Houston had started the season losing seven of their first 11 games. Morey said that Anthony "accepted every role" asked by D'Antoni, but that the "fit we envisioned when Carmelo chose to sign with the Rockets has not materialized; therefore we thought it was best to move on as any other outcome would have been unfair to him." D'Antoni stated that he "didn't ever want to disrespect [Anthony] and his career. He's going in the Hall of Fame."

On January 22, 2019, the Rockets traded Anthony, the draft rights to Jon Diebler, and undisclosed cash considerations to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for the draft rights to Tadija Dragićević. This trade allowed the Rockets to alleviate luxury-tax penalties up to $2.6 million. On February 1, he was waived by the Bulls.

Portland Trail Blazers (2019–2021)

On November 19, 2019, Anthony was signed by the Portland Trail Blazers to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. With his last NBA game having been on November 8, 2018, Anthony made his debut as a Blazer in a 115–104 road loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on November 19; he started and had 10 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 1 block in 24 minutes of play. On November 25, Anthony scored a season-high 25 points along with 8 rebounds in a 117–94 road victory over the Chicago Bulls. In the same game, Anthony moved past Alex English into 18th spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list. A couple of days later Anthony was named Western Conference Player of the Week, in the process becoming the oldest player at 35 years old to win the weekly award since Tim Duncan at 38 won it in 2014–15. On December 6, Anthony's contract became fully guaranteed.

On January 1, 2020, Anthony bested his season-high by scoring 26 points in a 117–93 loss to the New York Knicks. On January 7, Anthony recorded a new season-high 28 points and seven rebounds, and hit the game-winning shot in a 101–99 win over the Toronto Raptors. It was Anthony's 26th game winner in the last 30 seconds of a game, better than Kobe Bryant with 22, LeBron James with 20, Dirk Nowitzki with 18 and Dwyane Wade with 16. It was also the 17th time that Anthony has hit a game winner in the last 5 seconds of a game.

On January 15, Anthony recorded his third double-double of the season with 18 points and a season-high 12 rebounds in Portland's 117–107 victory over the Rockets. On January 17, Anthony scored 22 points in a 120–112 loss to the Dallas Mavericks, while becoming the 18th player in NBA history to reach the 26,000 points mark. Anthony scored six points in the Trail Blazers' 125–112 win against the Rockets on January 29, and passed Kevin Garnett for 17th place in the NBA's all-time scoring list with a total of 26,073 points. On February 23, Anthony scored a season-high 32 points in a 107–104 victory against the Detroit Pistons. This was the first time that Anthony scored over 30 points since February 25, 2017, when he was playing for the New York Knicks.

On August 1, 2020, in the team's 1st game in the NBA restart against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony scored 21 points. Anthony ultimately tied Chamberlain for No. 8 all-time with 771 career 20-point games when he scored 21, 20, and 26 points against the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks in their 5th, 6th and 7th games in the NBA restart.

Los Angeles Lakers (2021–2022)

On August 6, 2021, Anthony signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. On October 19, he made his Lakers debut, putting up nine points, four rebounds, and two assists in a 121–114 loss to the Golden State Warriors. On October 24, Anthony put up 28 points in a 121–118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies and moved past Moses Malone into the 9th place on the NBA all-time career scoring list. On January 28, 2022, he scored 19 points in a 117–114 loss to the Charlotte Hornets to become the 9th player in NBA history to reach 28,000 points. Anthony played his final game on April 5, 2022, where he added ten points and six rebounds in a 121–114 loss to the Phoenix Suns. In a disappointing season due to injuries and inconsistency, the Lakers finished with a 33–49 record (11th), and Anthony averaged 13.3 points per game with 37.5 percent three-point shooting in 69 appearances.

Retirement

On May 22, 2023, Anthony announced his retirement from the NBA. On the same day of his retirement announcement, the team that drafted him, the Denver Nuggets, advanced to their first NBA Finals in franchise history after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers, the same team Anthony would fall short to in the lone conference finals appearance of his career. Anthony became eligible for induction to the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2025, and has been announced as a member of that year's induction class.

National team career

After his rookie season, Anthony, along with fellow 2003 draftees LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, were chosen as members of the 2004 USA Olympic basketball team alongside veterans Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury and Tim Duncan that won the bronze medal. He averaged 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 6.8 minutes of playing time while playing in seven of the team's eight games.

In 2006, Anthony was named co-captain (along with James and Wade) of Team USA at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. The team won the bronze medal. On August 23, 2006, Anthony set the U.S. scoring record in a game with 35 points against Italy in the said FIBA tournament. The record was previously held by Kenny Anderson with 34 points in 1990. Anthony was named to the FIBA World Championship All-Tournament Team, posting averages of 19.9 points (led team), 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. On January 16, 2006, Anthony was chosen as the USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year after his performance at the FIBA World Championship.

Anthony was also a member of Team USA during the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship. The team went undefeated, going 10–0. He equaled the previous record of 28 points set by Allen Iverson in a qualifying tournament, which was later broken by James, who scored 31 points in the title-clinching win against Argentina.

Anthony was also named to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, again alongside James and Wade, with Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd among others. The team won its games by an average winning margin of 32.2 points, eliminating Australia in the quarterfinals by 31 and beating Argentina by 20 points. Anthony scored 21 points against Argentina, making 3-of-14 field goals and 13-of-13 in free throws, setting USA Olympic game records for made free throws and free throw percentage. In the gold medal game, the United States defeated 2006 World Champion Spain, with Anthony scoring 13 points. Anthony posted averages of 11.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game in eight contests.

Anthony also played in the 2016 Olympic Games, his fourth straight stint in the Olympics, which was a record for a US male basketball player, breaking the old record of having played in three Olympiads he shared with James and Robinson. Team USA won the gold medal when they beat Serbia, 96–66, in the championship game with Anthony becoming the first player in US men's basketball history to win three gold medals. In the gold medal game against Serbia, Anthony collared seven rebounds to finish with 125 total rebounds in US Olympic history, passing Robinson as Team USA's all-time leader in most rebounds. In summary, Anthony caps his Olympic career as the first man to win three gold medals, career leader in scoring, rebounding and games played, with 31, thereby becoming USA basketball's most decorated Olympian. In recognition of his performances and accomplishments in the tournament, Anthony was named co-USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year (along with Kevin Durant) for the third time in his career.

Player profile

Anthony played the small forward position, but he was also capable of playing power forward. His scoring prowess is considered to have been his best asset with his ability to take over any game on the offensive end; he shares the NBA record for second most points scored in one quarter with 33, and holds the New York Knicks single-game franchise scoring record with 62. On offense, Anthony is recognized for having been a prolific scorer with a variety of crafty offensive moves. Listed at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) and 238 pounds (108 kg), he had strength and quickness to be an immediate and consistent scoring threat in the post. He also liked creating space from his defenders which allowed him to step into his jump shot or put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket and get to the free throw line. Anthony is often known for having been one of the premier clutch performers in the NBA; during the 2005–06 season, Anthony made five game-winning shots in the last five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime. Dave McMenamin, a staff writer for ESPN, wrote, "If you were going to choose one player to challenge Bryant for his title of Mr. Clutch, it would have to be Anthony." Despite having been a prolific scorer, he was criticized for his defense and was never named to the NBA All-Defensive Team.

Anthony was one of many NBA players who used Idan Ravin as a personal coach and trainer. His relationship with Ravin started when he was 18 years old and preparing for the NBA draft after spending his one year at Syracuse University.

Career statistics

Personal life

Anthony has two brothers, Robert and Wilford, and a half-sister, Daphne. He had another sister, Michelle, who died in 2010. His mother, Mary, is African American and his father, Carmelo Iriarte, was Puerto Rican.

Anthony, along with LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade, are a quartet referred to as the "banana boat crew". The four have been friends since they were teenagers, and have consistently gone on vacation together. During an excursion to the Bahamas, James rescued Anthony from the water when Anthony was carried away from the boat by the current. During an Instagram Live session, Anthony later recounted, "He saved my life", when asked about the danger he was in prior to the rescue.

Anthony was cited for marijuana possession in 2004, but charges were dropped. On December 16, 2006, Anthony was involved in the infamous Knicks–Nuggets brawl during a game at Madison Square Garden. He was suspended for 15 games as a result. On April 14, 2008, Anthony was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The Nuggets suspended Anthony for two games due to the arrest.

In 2004, Anthony became engaged to Alani "La La" Vazquez. Their son, Kiyan Carmelo Anthony, was born on March 7, 2007. Michael Eric Dyson married Anthony and La La on July 10, 2010, at Cipriani's in New York City before 320 guests. VH1 filmed the ceremony for use in a reality series on the couple, titled La La's Full Court Wedding. Anthony resides in Portland, Oregon. He sold his New York property in 2020.

Shortly after the end of the 2016–17 regular season, TMZ reported that La La had moved out of the couple's apartment and the two were living separately. The two reconciled in December 2018. In June 2021, La La filed for divorce.

Charity work

In Denver, Anthony was a spokesman for the Family Resource Center and helped organize a Christmas party, entitled "A Very Melo Christmas", for less well-off children. In Baltimore, Anthony hosts an annual 3-on-3 tournament, known as "Melo's H.O.O.D. (Holding Our Own Destiny) Movement 3 on 3 Challenge" and is helping fund the revitalization of a local community center for local youth. Anthony opened "The Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center" in Baltimore on December 14, 2006. He contributed $1.5 million to the Living Classrooms Foundation, a non-profit organization that "provides innovative hands-on-education, job-training, and community service programs for over 35,000 children, youth and young adults in the east Baltimore community."

After the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, Anthony donated $35,000 to relief efforts. He donated $1,000 per point scored against San Antonio and Houston on January 8 and 9, 2005, respectively. Anthony also committed $3 million toward the construction of a newly planned basketball practice facility at his alma mater, Syracuse University. According to the NBA's official website, "Anthony's gift represents one of the largest individual donations to Syracuse University Athletics and is also believed to be one of largest by a current professional athlete to the school they attended." The practice facility will be called the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center. For charitable contributions totaling $4,282,000, Anthony was listed as number eight in "The Giving Back 30 List of Largest Charitable Donations by Celebrities in 2006".

Other activities

Anthony was a guest star in the "Lost and Found" episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. He also appeared in the music video for Common's song "Be" from the album Be in 2005. Anthony is the only player to appear on the cover of all three EA Sports basketball franchises (NCAA March Madness, NBA Live and NBA Street). In January 2009, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame selected Anthony as its professional athlete of the year for 2008. He and wrestler Henry Cejudo, also a 2008 gold medalist, were chosen to be the special award headliners for the induction banquet held on April 14, 2009. In spring 2012, Anthony guest starred in several episodes of the Showtime series Nurse Jackie as a professional baseball player going through drug rehab. He, along with Dwight Howard and Scottie Pippen, also appeared in the 2013 Chinese film Amazing, a joint venture between the NBA and Shanghai Film Group Corporation.

In 2003, Anthony signed his first shoe deal with Jordan brand and was paid $3.5 million per year for six years. In 2004, his first signature shoe, the Jordan Carmelo 1.5, was released. As of 2018, thirteen shoes have been released in the Melo line.

Anthony appeared in a video entitled Stop Snitchin' in 2004, which warned that residents of Baltimore who collaborated with the police would face violence. He later distanced himself from this video.

In 2006, Anthony partnered with Hemelgarn Racing to campaign a car driven by P. J. Chesson in the 2006 IndyCar Series season. Jeff Bucknum joined the team as a second team car, and under the moniker "Car-Melo", the two cars qualified for the 2006 Indianapolis 500. However, the team dismantled after a crash of both cars in the Indy 500.

In 2014, Anthony made a brief cameo appearance in the eighth episode of the seventh and final season FX series Sons of Anarchy as a henchman to series antagonist Moses Cartwright. He also participated in a merchandising cooperation with Nickelodeon for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, where he has several guest appearances, namely in the 2016 action film and as a comic character in the Amazing Adventures spin-off comics to the 2012 TV series.

In 2015, Anthony founded North American Soccer League expansion club Puerto Rico FC. Despite the financial recession in Puerto Rico, Anthony saw this opportunity as a form of community outreach, as well as a long-term investment in a club that could ultimately be profitable.