Early Years and Basketball Start
Carmelo Kyam Anthony, the youngest of four children, was born on May 29, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York. Anthony grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and had a difficult upbringing. His father, Carmelo Iriarte, died of liver disease when he was two years old. This left the young boy and his three elder brothers in the care of his mother, Mary, who supported the family by working as a housekeeper.
While the world around the Anthony family was the dangerous, drug-infested section of Baltimore known as the Pharmacy, Mary kept her children on a short leash inside the house. She pushed Carmelo in particular to keep up with his academics.
Anthony started playing basketball at an early age, but it wasn’t until he was cut from his high school team as a freshman that he began to focus on his game seriously. Anthony had grown five inches during his second season and brought a level of talent to the court that made him a local sensation.
Naturally, college coaches throughout the country took note, and Anthony had committed to play for Syracuse University by his junior year. Anthony transferred to Oak Hill Academy, a private boarding school in Virginia with a strong disciplinary culture that has historically catered to future NBA players, in order to meet the school’s academic criteria.
The shift was difficult for Anthony, but he persevered and finally improved his test scores and game, becoming the highest-ranked high school basketball player in the country. Unlike other great high school players such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, Anthony believed he wasn’t ready to forgo college and enter the NBA right away. Instead, he maintained his promise to Syracuse and enrolled as a student in the fall of 2002.
College Career
Anthony rapidly adjusted to the college game at Syracuse. He guided the Orangemen to their first national championship in the spring of 2003, with an 81-78 upset triumph over the fancied University of Kansas. Anthony topped all scorers with 20 points, while also grabbing 10 rebounds.
Anthony was voted the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, capping off a spectacular season for the freshman. Later that spring, the great player declared his readiness to play professionally and declared himself eligible for the forthcoming 2003 NBA draft.
NBA Career
Carmelo Anthony, nicknamed “Melo,” was taken third overall by the Denver Nuggets in a talent-laden draft that included James and Dwyane Wade. There was little time for the young player to adjust.
Anthony, at 19, was chosen to the All-debut team during his debut season in 2003-04, scoring 21 points and six rebounds per game.
During his pro career, the 6-foot-8-inch forward established himself as one of the game’s top scorers. He was selected to play in his first All-Star game in 2007, and he has since made five additional All-Star teams. Anthony tied an NBA record on December 10, 2008, when he scored 33 points in a single quarter against Minnesota.
While Anthony was the Nuggets’ most successful player, the team never developed into the consistent challenger that club officials had hoped for. In a three-team megatrade in the middle of the 2011 season, Denver sent Anthony to the New York Knicks.
Anthony was overjoyed because he had yearned to return to his hometown of New York. In 2012-13, he led the Knicks to a 54-28 record, and the following year, he established the team scoring record with 62 points. However, things had already soured between Anthony and the Knicks by that point, with high-profile team president Phil Jackson publicly expressing his displeasure with the star player.
Anthony was traded from the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in September 2017. He was moved again the following summer, this time to the Atlanta Hawks, but he was quickly released and signed as a free agency by the Houston Rockets.
Anthony played in just ten games for the Rockets before the organization announced plans to move the veteran forward. The Chicago Bulls agreed to sign him in January 2019, but released him a week later.
Anthony joined the Portland Trail Blazers in November 2019, more than a year after his last NBA appearance. Anthony signed with the Los Angeles Lakers in August 2021, joining a roster that includes LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook. During his stay in Los Angeles, Anthony reached various milestones, including moving up to ninth position on the NBA’s all-time career scoring record in October 2021 and becoming the ninth player in NBA history to surpass 28,000 points.
NBA Retirement
After 19 seasons in the NBA, Anthony announced his retirement on May 22, 2023. “Now is the time for me to say good-by… to the game that gave me purpose and pride,” he stated as he announced his retirement. Anthony concluded his career as a 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA first-team selection, and a member of the NBA’s all-time 75th anniversary squad. He also won three gold medals at the Olympics in 2008, 2012, and 2016, as well as a bronze medal in 2004.
Personal Life
Anthony married actor and former MTV VJ La La Anthony (née Vasquez) in 2010 after a six-year engagement. Prior to their wedding, the couple had a kid named Kiyan. Kiyan, who is now a teenager, also enjoys basketball. Following their separation in 2017, Carmelo and La La filed for divorce in June 2021.