Carmelo Anthony: A Legacy Forged Beyond Rings
Hakim Warrick still remembers his first impression of Carmelo Anthony, more than two decades ago, before a game at Syracuse University. In the summer of 2002, while the team was preparing at the Manley Field House, Warrick, with skepticism, wondered if that young man, with a robust appearance, was really the center of so much expectation. Soon, Warrick understood why. The talented Baltimore forward, with a complete game, quickly stood out, scoring 27 points in his college debut against Memphis at Madison Square Garden. Anthony’s season at Syracuse was an unprecedented success. The team, initially unranked, finished with a 30-5 record. Anthony led Syracuse to their first and only men’s basketball title in 2003. He was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, leaving an indelible mark.Despite not winning championships in his 19 seasons in the NBA, Anthony, upon being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has avoided the ring-obsessed debate that often defines players in this sport. His achievements, and the path he forged to achieve them, make him worthy of this honor. Anthony ranks 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, with 28,289 points. He is third on the USA Basketball historical scoring list, with four Olympic medals, including three gold. In addition, he is a ten-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Instead of being defined by what he didn’t win, Anthony earned his reputation for what he did to try to win in the NBA.He stands out. We’ve had great players. But Carmelo won. It’s simple. He was a great player and he won.
Jim Boeheim, former Syracuse coach
Another “what if” arose when Anthony, with a rising scoring average and being recruited for the United States national basketball program, had the opportunity to change the course of his career. What if he hadn’t signed a five-year extension with the Nuggets in the summer of 2006 and had joined James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in 2010? Anthony explained that, at that moment, he preferred not to risk losing guaranteed money and not fitting into the role offered to him. “Imagine at 23, 24 years old, being the fourth option on the team when I lead my team every year,” he commented on the “Podcast P with Paul George” podcast. In 2008, Anthony joined James, Wade, Bosh, and Kobe Bryant at the Beijing Olympics. There, he reunited with Boeheim, who was assistant coach to Mike Krzyzewski. The result was the birth of “Olympic Melo”.Of course I’ve thought about it. I really believe that if we had drafted Melo that year, we would have won at least three championships.
Chauncey Billups, coach of the Portland Trail Blazers and former Pistons player
Jason Kidd, starting point guard for the 2008 United States team, highlighted Anthony’s importance to the team’s chemistry, smoothing tensions between Bryant and James. “He was an adult,” Kidd said. “He knew how to keep everyone on the team… He’s a great teammate, and I say that because it’s not just about basketball.” In the gold medal victory against Spain, Anthony scored 13 points in 17 minutes off the bench, helping the “Redeem Team” complete its mission. Three years later, he began his stint in New York. He played seven and a half seasons there. He led the Knicks to 54 wins and second place in the Eastern Conference, before losing in the second round. Anthony became the league’s top scorer in 2013, and his number 7 jersey was the best-selling. His reputation as a scorer was consolidated.Carmelo, from day one, was going to score and the Olympic 3-point line is even shorter, so it was even easier. He could just come in and, I don’t even know how many times, but it seemed like every time he came in, he scored. His first shot. He scored a three, he made it. Like, every time. He was just a natural Olympic scorer.
Jim Boeheim
Boeheim added: “The NBA is a lot about being on the team you’re on. He greatly elevated Denver, but they were playing against Kobe and then against Tim Duncan. They didn’t win. They didn’t win a championship. And New York didn’t win a championship with who was there. He elevated his teams. That’s what you can do in the NBA. He’s one of the best three-dimensional scorers who has played. He shoots 3s, drives, shoots. He had the whole game.” Gasol also raises a final hypothesis. What would have happened if Anthony hadn’t suffered a stress fracture in his foot in November 2019, which led the Portland Trail Blazers to waive him? Without that injury, which ended his NBA career, would Anthony have been given the opportunity to extend it?There’s something to be said about, ‘OK, I’m going to lead a group on my own.’ He did it. Obviously first in Denver and they had good teams, it’s just that there were better teams at the time. And the same with New York, where it takes a certain level of ambition and confidence to be able to do it.
Pau Gasol
