Reports circulating Wednesday state that former All-Star and Olympic great Carmelo Anthony has been informed he will be inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame this fall. A high honor that is well deserved, as Carmelo has long been regarded as one of the best offensive players in NBA history.
The 40-year-old finished his career with six All-NBA selections. Anthony had one of the best college seasons ever seen at Syracuse before entering the 2003 NBA Draft.
Regarded as one of the best draft classes, Carmelo and LeBron James both made headlines during their rookie year. While LeBron took home Rookie of the Year, Melo won Rookie of the Month every month during his first season. Anthony’s run with the Denver Nuggets led to a showdown in the Western Conference Finals against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009.
The evolution of Carmelo’s career continued as he returned to New York in a blockbuster trade to lead the Knicks. That chapter was bittersweet—he led the NBA in scoring in 2013 but was never able to push the team past the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics into the NBA Finals.
The latter part of Carmelo’s career was a rollercoaster, as he played for multiple teams. However, he remains held in the highest regard for his time with Team USA—he’s a four-time Olympic medalist, with three golds and one bronze dating back to 2004.
A staple on every team he joined, Carmelo is still respected throughout the basketball world. That legacy only adds to the aura he carries. A fearless player who played with a chip on his shoulder, he’s truly one of the greatest scorers we’ll ever see. It’ll be intriguing to see who introduces Anthony before his Hall of Fame speech.
Carmelo finished his NBA career averaging 22.5 points and six rebounds, ending just 11 points shy of 28,300 total career points. A well-deserved induction.
