Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Kyam Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player.

Anthony played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was named an NBA All-Star ten times and an All-NBA Team member six times.

During the summer of 1999, Anthony grew five inches into the frame of a 6–5 swingman.

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.

He suddenly 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.

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.

Oak Hill Academy entered the 2001–02 campaign boasting a 42-game winning streak.

He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange, winning a national championship as a freshman in 2003 while being named the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player.

In 2021, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and is regarded as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history.

After one season at Syracuse, Anthony entered the 2003 NBA draft and was selected with the third overall pick by the Denver Nuggets.

While playing for Denver, he led the Nuggets to the playoffs every year from 2004 to 2010; the team won two division titles in that span.

Anthony has played in the Olympics for the US national team a record four times, winning a bronze medal with the 2004 squad and gold medals on the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic teams.

In 2009, Anthony led the Nuggets to their first conference finals appearance since 1985.

In 2011, he was traded from Denver to the New York Knicks days before the NBA trade deadline.

In a January 24, 2014 game against the Charlotte Bobcats, Anthony scored a career-high 62 points, setting a Knicks' single-game scoring record and a Madison Square Garden single-game scoring record.

Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he played one season before a short stint with the Houston Rockets.

He spent two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers prior to joining the Los Angeles Lakers.

As of April 2016, he was the US Olympic team's all-time leader in points, rebounds, and games played.

He currently ranks tenth among NBA career scoring leaders.

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.