In every generation, there are always a handful of players who had outstanding careers for an extended period, but are viewed as a level below their superstar peers because they weren’t able to win an NBA championship. With a break here or there, it is possible that they would’ve had the chance to play for a title when they were at the peak of their powers, but it just never materializes. While they don’t have the hardware to show for it, they’re still putting on a show night after night, and are still the cream of the crop from a talent perspective in the world.
Carmelo Anthony certainly falls into that category. He never did join another superstar when he was at the height of his offensive prowess to form a star studded roster like some of his peers and close friends in the league. Anthony wanted to be the center of the franchise, and have fortunes unfold like they would have in other eras of NBA history. Some may think about that and look at as a criticism, with the belief that he might not have wanted to win a championship as badly as some of his contemporaries. Had he sacrificed some of the 28,000 plus points he scored, he may have a ring by now, which could’ve helped bolster his legacy even more.
There will also be others who will give more credit and respect to Carmelo Anthony for the way his career actually out played out. He doesn’t have the mid-June iconic moments that fellow 2003 NBA Draft classmates LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have, but he also embraced the hand he was dealt for the most part and did the best he could. It would’ve been ideal if he had a Giannis Antetokounmpo-like result by being the central figure as a loyal figure, but it didn’t happen that way.
A lot of people will have opinions about what Anthony should or should not have done from a franchise perspective, but most NBA fans would agree that his offensive ability ranks right up there with some of the best to ever play the game. Much of his damage was done in the mid-range, on each of the wings. He had every move in the book for his one on one matchup, whether it was a jab step at the defender, a one or two dribble quick pull-up, or a bruising backdown to the rim using all of his 6’7”, 238 pound frame. If Anthony was fouled in the act of shooting during an array of dazzling moves, he would make teams pay from the free throw line, shooting over 81 percent for his career.
It’s been a long career that has felt a little bit like an odyssey in recent years as analytics and three point shooting have taken over the league’s attention, but Carmelo Anthony has had one of the best runs of any player in the modern era.
Carmelo Anthony – Childhood
Carmelo Kyam Anthony’s story begins on May 29, 1984 in Brooklyn, New York. Even though the narrative would become legendary later in his life, it was far from glamorous at the beginning. He was born to parents Carmelo Iriarte and Mary Anthony, who were of Puerto Rican and African American heritage respectively. Unfortunately, Iriarte passed away when Carmelo was only two years old, so the future NBA star did not have too many memories with him. However, his father was extremely fond of writing poetry, and Anthony received a book full of his prose later in life. As a kid and through his teenage years, Anthony and his family would make a couple of trips to his father’s homeland. As an adult he would dig deeper into his father’s background, and would forge a stronger connection with Puerto Rico.
As for his mother Mary, she had her hands full trying to support and raise Carmelo and his siblings. She worked as a housekeeper, and did the best she could to provide for her family. Even though the area of Brooklyn they lived in was not the safest, Anthony has spoken about how people living on his block looked out for one another. Kids would not travel by themselves or engage with dangerous people on the street, and the small-knit group would keep an eye out in case trouble arose.
However, Mary Anthony knew that she had to try to give her kids a better chance at success. When Carmelo was eight years old, she moved them to west Baltimore, Maryland in search of that chance. The only thing was, the pitfalls related to drugs, violence and other types of crime were not mutually exclusive to Brooklyn, and were also present in their new area. As the future NBA start got older, he learned some difficult lessons about growing up in these environments. He could never show vulnerability, weaknesses, or sadness, because others in the neighborhood would sense that and try to take advantage of him, which would leave him in a precarious position.
It was a difficult way to live, but Carmelo Anthony knew what he had to do. He would take solace playing basketball at the recreational center and parks in both Brooklyn and Baltimore, because the game would take him away from the other perilous elements of society. He didn’t necessarily view it as a way out of poverty, but his love for the sport would be a way for him to focus on something healthier.
Anthony would also have motivation to earn his own money as a youth, since his mother did not always have disposable income to give him. When he lived in Baltimore, he would spend summers cleaning a bevy of cars with squeegees, which usually left windows spotless. It wasn’t easy work, and he had to deal with some oppressively hot temperatures to earn some extra pocket change, but it was a good lesson in accountability for him. If his mother could work as a housekeeper to get by cleaning other people’s homes, then Anthony could do this temporarily as a means to an end as well.
Carmelo Anthony – High School
There were sporadic signs that Carmelo Anthony could be something special in the basketball world. When he was still in middle school, he would look for bigger and more developed players to challenge himself against. One of those instances took place where Anthony would continuously ask a future NBA opponent to play one on one.
That player would be Rasual Butler, who was five years older than Anthony, and about ready to go to college while the latter was still in the seventh grade. On paper, this would seem like a legitimate mismatch, with Anthony having little to no chance to beat someone who was much more physically developed. The games would actually be pretty competitive, in large part because Anthony had an array of ways to score from the perimeter, and create space to get a shot off. When Butler took Anthony into the post, there wasn’t much the middle schooler could do, but the fact that the high schooler had to resort to brute strength in certain matchups spoke to how skilled Anthony was.
Anthony began his high school career with Towson Catholic. While he wasn’t dominant force from the first game of his freshman year, the Brooklyn native would continue to improve year after year. There were signs that he was blossoming into something special in his sophomore year, when he posted averages of 14 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. He was beginning to show that he could be the offensive centerpiece of a team and contribute in other areas while doing so.
As a junior, Carmelo Anthony really started to burst on to the national scene. His numbers took an enormous leap, when he recorded averages of 23 points per game to go along with ten rebounds. It is a phrase used probably too often in basketball circles, but Anthony truly was a walking bucket at this time. Everyone in the city knew how good he was, and he racked up honors such as Baltimore County Player of The Year and Baltimore Catholic Player Of The Year. Additionally, his team went 26-3 that year, proving they were one of the best teams in the city and in the state.
From the outside looking in, everything seemed to be setup for a glorious farewell senior season for Anthony at Towson Catholic. There were already east coast colleges interested in the dynamic scorer, and it seemed like only a matter of time before he would shatter more records and lead his team to the promised land.
However, there were some issues internally that Anthony would have with the school that led him to transfer. He made an appearance on Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s “All The Smoke” podcast where he described what took place at Towson Catholic. School administrators were allegedly not happy with the way Anthony wore his hair, in a cornrow style fashion. They would also allegedly give him demerit points if his tie was not on straight. Anthony said that he had racked up so many detention hours for violations that seemed petty at best. He communicated that he did not want to spend any more time after school scrubbing desks or serving punishments for infractions that were subjective at best.
He wasn’t the only one who had that opinion. His own head coach at Towson Catholic, Mike Daniel, also believed that the treatment Anthony received was not fair. It is very rarely the case that the head coach of such a talented player would want that individual to leave the program, but Daniel believed that Anthony would be best served finishing out his high school career elsewhere.
That would be what ended up happening. Anthony spent his senior season of high school basketball playing at Oak Hill Academy, which was a prep school located in Virginia. Things all came together for him there, and he got national exposure from some of the highest profile games in high school basketball history. The highlight came in a game against St. Vincent St. Mary’s high school, which had another sparkling prospect named LeBron James. Before the game, the two phenoms connected and because friends extremely quickly, so much so that the Oak Hill coach had to remind Anthony that he was here to beat James’ team. Carmelo Anthony was able to lock in once the game began, and although James outscored him, Oak Hill was able to defeat St. Vincent St. Mary’s 72-66. Anthony scored 34 points of his own, to go along with 11 rebounds.
He would have a tremendous year, averaging over 21 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while leading Oak Hill to a championship. Not surprisingly, he was also recognized as a McDonalds All-American.
Carmelo Anthony – College
Even before Carmelo Anthony decided to take his talents to Oak Hill Academy in order to face stiffer competition and increase his national profile, his future plans as it related to college were pretty much already decided. He committed to Syracuse University during his birthday in his junior year. While a lot of other colleges contacted Anthony when his profile grew at Oak Hill, Anthony remained firm in his decision to play for head coach Jim Boeheim in upstate New York.
It was a good thing he did, because Anthony would have one of the best seasons in college basketball history. He averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds for the year, while Syracuse did not lose a single game at home in the Carrier Dome. Together with sophomore forward Hakim Warrick, Anthony would form a lengthy tandem that would give opponents a lot of problems with their athleticism and versatility. It didn’t seem like such a young team, led by freshmen and sophomores, would ever be a serious threat to advance deep into the NCAA Tournament.
However, the Orange would prove all the doubters wrong. Although Anthony didn’t shoot particularly well in the first three games of the tournament, he still posted solid numbers and Syracuse was able to advance in each contest. However, the talented freshman would dial his game up a notch for the Elite 8, Final 4, and national championship game. Against Oklahoma in the regional final, Anthony did not come out of the game en route to posting a 20 point, 10 rebound double-double in a victory. Against the University of Texas in the Final Four, the small forward would have an iconic game, scoring 33 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in a victory over the Longhorns.
The national title game against the University of Kansas would be a much stiffer test, as the Jayhawks featured several players that would go on to play in the NBA, including Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. It was an extremely close game that was sealed by a tremendous block by Warrick, but Anthony had another signature performance. He scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and was a primary playmaker with seven assists. On the back of these great performances, Syracuse won the national championship.
Carmelo Anthony legitimately loved life at Syracuse, and was happy to have stuck with his initial collegiate commitment. The first team All American to stick around with the program for at least another year, and perhaps even longer than that. However, Jim Boeheim told him that he basically had no choice but to leave, because he was going to be a top three pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. It would have been interesting to see Anthony return to school for a sophomore season, but Boeheim’s advice turned out to be correct, as Anthony would not have been wise to risk injury.
Carmelo Anthony – Denver Nuggets
As is common knowledge to most NBA fans, the top prospects in the 2003 NBA Draft were slated to be franchise changing type of players. There was never a question that high school prospect LeBron James was going to remain in his home state of Ohio after the Cleveland Cavaliers won the draft lottery. The real question was going to be what the Detroit Pistons did with the second overall pick. They were just in the Eastern Conference Finals, and had the great fortune of picking that high because of a trade made six years earlier with the Vancouver Grizzlies.
Detroit had a pretty formidable starting lineup and defensive unit, so they elected to go with the player who would likely need the most time to develop in Serbian big man Darko Milicic. The Denver Nuggets had the third overall pick, and they were thrilled to be able to select Carmelo Anthony in that slot.
From his NBA debut, it was clear that Anthony was going to be a force to be reckoned with on the offensive end. He had a fantastic rookie season, averaging 21 points per game with six rebounds. Even though it was going to take a lot to sway voters from the candidacy of James as NBA Rookie Of The Year in the 2003-2004 season, Anthony made a very compelling case. In addition to his statistics, his Nuggets would defeat Cleveland in both regular season matchups that year. Denver also had a winning record and would qualify for the postseason in Carmelo’s rookie year, whereas Cleveland would not.
In Anthony second season in Denver, the Nuggets would move on from head coach Jeff Bzdelik, and eventually bring in proven NBA coach George Karl. The makeup of the team would start to change, as the interior toughness that would became a staple for them in that era would begin to take shape. Marcus Camby was one of the best shot-blockers in the NBA, and the franchise traded for rugged forward Kenyan Martin before the 2004-2005 season. Although the Nuggets started slowly that year, they went 32-8 down the stretch under Karl. The team would be dispatched in five games by the well oiled San Antonio Spurs, but it felt like Denver had a strong foundation with which to work.
Despite averaging over 26 points per game in his third season, Anthony still did not make the Western Conference All-Star team. This would end up being one of the more egregious snubs in recent history. He would proceed to receive the honor in four out of his next five years with Denver, however.
Denver did a lot of tinkering to their roster to try and make inroads in the Western Conference, but they lost in the first round of the postseason in each of Anthony’s first five seasons with the team. To play next to the consummate point guard Andre Miller, they brought in Allen Iverson to give Denver a dynamic one-two punch. The fit was a little clunky though, as the backcourt was pretty small, and both Iverson and Anthony were players who liked to have the ball in their hands.
While the brand of basketball the team played was pretty exciting, it became clear that this nucleus was not going to be good enough to advance come playoff time. Shortly after the 2008-2009 season began, the Nuggets made another big move, sending Iverson to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for point guard Chauncey Billups. This would prove to be a smart decision, as Billups came in as a former NBA champion and helped stabilize the team. Nothing against Miller, but in addition to getting other players involved, Billups could also score and make big shots when the game was on the line.
It made a huge difference. Additionally, Nene was healthy and playing well, which helped Denver mitigate the loss of Camby.
With the pieces of the team finally fitting together, Anthony and the Nuggets were able to get the monkey off their back. The former Syracuse star raised his game like he hadn’t before, averaging 27 points in the postseason on the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals.
While the Nuggets were not really expected to beat the Los Angeles in that 2009 series, they played very well. The series was tied two games apiece at one point, and it was clear that Anthony was not afraid of the moment, going head to head with Kobe Bryant. Perhaps with this experience for players like Anthony and J.R. Smith, the team would be able to build on this moving forward.
However, it did not work out that way. After Anthony had another stellar season individually, and the Nuggets coasted through the regular season, their playoff run came to an abrupt end. They were defeated in the first round again, this time by a Utah Jazz squad led by Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.
The 2010-2011 season began with loud chatter regarding Anthony’s future. He was set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of that season, and it appeared like the four-time All-Star did not want to stay in Denver if the team could not deliver on expectations.
Carmelo Anthony – New York Knicks
That is when an intense game of brinksmanship began between the Denver Nuggets, the New York Knicks, and the rest of the NBA. New York badly wanted Anthony, but also knew that other teams could be in hot pursuit of his services. They were worried about playing out the entirety of the season and trying to sign him in free agency, because they had already been spurned the prior summer by LeBron James, who chose to sign with the Miami Heat.
As a result, the Knicks and Nuggets agreed to a blockbuster trade in February 2011, which sent Anthony to New York. Before the trade to his second team in the NBA, he would agree to sign a three-year contract extension.
During the second half of the year, Anthony would learn to co-exist with Amar’e Stoudemire, and the Knicks would make the postseason. However, they were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics.
The following year was a bit of a disjointed campaign, as the lockout reduced the season to 66 games. New York got off to a slow start, and parted ways with head coach Mike D’Antoni midway through the year. Mike Woodson was elevated to interim head coach, and the team finished 18-6 under him. During that time, Anthony and the rest of the Knicks watched undrafted point guard Jeremy Lin go on a torrid hot streak, which added another element to New York’s offensive attack.
The end result was the same in 2011-2012 though, as the team fizzled out in the postseason against the Miami Heat in the first round.
The following year, the Knicks decided to strategically add players around the team that might not have increased their overall talent, but would bolster their cohesion. Veterans like Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, Kenyon Martin and Kurt Thomas would be on the team, in order to direct Anthony and the other more talented young players about how to position themselves to win.
The approach paid dividends, as the team won 54 games in 2012-2013, while finishing second in the Eastern Conference. New York would get by the Celtics in six games, and face the Indiana Pacers in the second round. Anthony led the way against Indiana, scoring 28 points per game, but did not have much help. The Pacers would beat the Knicks in six games.
The rest of Carmelo Anthony’s career in New York would not bring about much team success, but he would fill up the stat sheet and provide Knicks faithful with some remarkable offensive performances. Perhaps the best one came against the Charlotte Bobcats in January 2014, when he scored a career high 62 points at Madison Square Garden. Every shot was falling for him that night, including a half court heave at the end of the first half.
Carmelo Anthony – International Career
In addition to the success he was having in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony also represented the United States in four straight Olympic Games. His run started with the disappointing 2004 team that won the bronze medal, but finished his international career strong with three straight gold medals.
He had to play a different role on team USA than he did with the Nuggets and Knicks. Anthony would largely be used as a spot up shooter who would provide floor spacing, rather than the isolation game he was playing in the NBA. His performance in this setting would lead some teams to believe he could accept a similar role on a team with comparable talent.
Carmelo Anthony – Oklahoma City Thunder
Despite his individual exploits, the New York Knicks did not appear to be turning a corner in their goal to be contenders in the Eastern Conference. As a result, they decided to move their franchise player, and traded Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder before the 2017-2018 season.
Oklahoma City was not looking to rebuild, but rather retool, after Kevin Durant left the team after the 2015-2016 season. They had acquired All-Star forward Paul George in a trade with the Pacers, and on paper had a formidable big three. The Thunder had a solid regular season, winning 48 games. However, they were not able to come together in the playoffs, losing to a Utah Jazz team led by rookie Donovan Mitchell. Anthony’s scoring average took a major hit in that series, posting only 11 points per game.
Carmelo Anthony – Houston Rockets
After his one year stint in Oklahoma City, Carmelo Anthony would look to join another contender who needed some scoring, and signed on with the Houston Rockets for the 2018-2019 campaign. That team was led by Chris Paul and James Harden, and coached by Mike D’Antoni, whom Anthony was familiar with from his early days with the Knicks.
Anthony’s time with Houston would only last for 10 games, as it seems like there was a miscommunication about what his role would be. The former All-Star was shocked to hear that the team wanted to part ways with him so soon, because they seemed to be a good fit. He would essentially be deactivated, but not officially released, leaving Anthony in basketball purgatory.
Carmelo Anthony – Portland Trail Blazers
For the better part of a year, people wondered when, or even if, another NBA team would sign Carmelo Anthony. The interest in the future Hall of Famer seemed tepid at best, as concerns about his lack of defensive ability, and sporadic three point shooting were common narratives. Rebuilding teams did not want Anthony to come in and take shots away from younger developing players, and contending teams were concerns about how he would fit into their roster.
After a lot of public discussion(some of it by Anthony himself) about why he wasn’t getting signed, the Portland Trail Blazers signed the forward. It seemed like a curious fit, since Portland already had a lot of scoring from their potent backcourt of C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard. It actually proved to be a solid fit for Anthony, who was content having a solidified role in the rotation, and was a threat from a catch and shoot perspective.
Carmelo Anthony – Los Angeles Lakers
Things would come full circle for Carmelo Anthony during the following season, when he signed with former high school rival LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers. While the Lakers had a disappointing season collectively, Anthony played in 69 games and provided a spark off the bench. It was clear he is not the player he once was, but still is capable of filling it up.
Carmelo Anthony – NBA Future
As of this writing, it will be interesting to see how Carmelo Anthony’s playing career winds down. He is currently a free agent, and may latch on with a team soon. It was announced over the summer that a documentary on Carmelo Anthony’s life is being produced, so that is something else NBA fans can look forward to as well.
Has Carmelo Anthony won MVP?
Despite his demonstrated brilliance on the offensive end, Carmelo Anthony has not won an NBA MVP award. He is the only player in NBA history to score at least 27,000 points, but not win at least one MVP award. He had a strong case in the 2012-2013 season, as Anthony was the catalyst for the New York Knicks grabbing the second seed in the Eastern Conference. However, LeBron James of the Miami Heat and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder finished ahead of Anthony in the voting. He might be one of the best players in league history never to win the award.
How many years has Carmelo Anthony been in the NBA?
Carmelo Anthony has been in the NBA for around 20 years. He was drafted in 2003 and has played for several teams, including the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Portland Trail Blazers.
When was Carmelo Anthony in college?
Carmelo Anthony played for Syracuse University during the 2002-2003 college basketball season. He was nothing short of phenomenal as a freshman, averaging over 22 points a game to go a long with 10 rebounds. During his only season with the Orange, Syracuse did not lose a home game, going 17-0 at the Carrier Dome. Even though they had a young team led by Anthony and Hakim Warrick, the team came together quickly during the NCAA Tournament. They were not a serious favorite to go all the way that year, but thanks to Anthony’s brilliance, the team won the 2003 national title.
How many 3s does Carmelo Anthony have?
Throughout the course of his illustrious NBA career, Carmelo Anthony has made 1,731 three pointers in the regular season. In the playoffs, the former Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks star has added another 101 shots from long distance. During the course of his time in the NBA, the game has changed to emphasize three point shooting more than it ever had in the past. Early in his career, Anthony primarily did his damage in the mid-post area, while shooting occasionally from three. As time went on, Anthony made the long ball a more substantial part of his offensive arsenal to acclimate to the modern game.
