Who is Carmelo Kiyan Anthony? The National Basketball Association knows him as Carmelo Anthony. Anthony also has a nickname "Melo", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the New York Knicks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a successful high school career at Towson Catholic High School and Oak Hill Academy, Anthony attended Syracuse University for college where he led the Orangemen to their first National Championship in 2003. He earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award and was named the Most Valuable Player of NCAA East Regional. After one season at Syracuse University, Anthony left college to enter the 2003 NBA Draft, where he was selected as the third pick by the Nuggets. He was traded to the Knicks several days prior to the 2011 trade deadline.
Since entering the NBA, Anthony has emerged as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league. He was named to the All-Rookie team, to the All-Star team four times and to the All-NBA team four times. Anthony led the Nuggets to two division titles and to the playoffs every year from 2004 to 2010. In 2009, he helped the Nuggets advance to the Conference Finals for the first time since 1985. As a member of the USA National Team, Anthony won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics and a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics.Early life and high school
Anthony was born May 29, 1984, in the Red Hook projects in Brooklyn, New York City.[2] He was born to a Puerto Rican father and an African American mother. His father, after whom he is named, died of cancer when Anthony was two years old.[3] When Anthony turned eight, his family moved to Baltimore, where he honed not only his athletic skills, but his survival skills. Kenny Minor, one of Anthony's childhood friends, said, "from drugs, to killings, to anything you can name that goes on in the roughest parts of town, we've seen and witnessed hands on. Those are the things that teach you toughness and keep you mentally focused on your goals." Sports would serve as an important diversion from the violence and drug dealing that were pervasive in the housing projects a few blocks from the homes of Anthony and his friends.[4]Anthony commuted to Towson Catholic High School for his first three years of high school.[5] During the summer of 2000, Anthony grew five inches into the frame of a 6-5 swingman.[6] 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,[7] as well as Baltimore Catholic League player of the year.[8] During his sophomore year, he averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.[6] 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.[6] Despite his successful year, Anthony was distracted from all attention and was too eager to listen to friends who guaranteed him he was destined for NBA stardom. Anthony began missing classes and was suspended on several occasions.[6] He was barely registered a blip on the radar of pro scouts with his skinny frame and lacking strength and felt that he was not ready for the physical demands on the NBA.[6] 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.[6]
After his junior year, Division I-A coaches were lined up to recruit Anthony to a school on the East Coast, which included University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Syracuse University.[7] 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. Although Anthony's grades dropped under a C average and his scores on the ACT scores below acceptable standards, he knew that he needed to improve in the classroom to qualify academically for Syracuse.[6] For his senior year, his mother considered transferring him to a different school.[6] 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.[6] 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.[6] 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).[6]
Anthony played at the USA Basketball Youth Development Festival where he helped the East Team win the silver medal.[6] He tied LeBron James for the tournament scoring lead at 24 points per game and shot 66 percent from the field.[6] It was there that Anthony and James struck up a friendship.[6] Oak Hill Academy entered the 2001–02 campaign boasting a 42-game winning streak. Oak Hill won the inaugural Nike Academy National Invitational in Texas and ended the season ranked third in the country at 32–1. Their only loss was in a rematch against Mater Dei,[6] which ended their unbeaten streak at 67.[6] He averaged 22 points, 7.1 rebounds and 3.0 assists during his senior year was named to the McDonald's All-American Team where he scored 19 points.[6] He also won the Sprite Slam Jam dunk contest prior to the McDonald’s All-American game and named a USA Today All-USA First Team and a Parade First-Team All-American.[9][10] Due to his struggles with the ACT, his family and friends wondered whether Anthony would forget about college and move on to the NBA.[6] He had yet to produce the minimum score of 18, however, in late April Anthony got a 19 and decided to stick with college and prepared for his freshman year at Syracuse.[6]
College career
Anthony played one season at Syracuse University, during the 2002–2003 season, where he averaged 22.1 points (16th in the NCAA, 4th in the Big East) and 10.0 rebounds (19th in the NCAA, 3rd in the Big East, 1st among NCAA Division I freshmen). He helped guide the Orangemen to their first ever NCAA tournament title in 2003. He led the team in scoring, rebounding, minutes played (36.4 minutes per game), field goals made and free throws made and attempted.[11] Anthony's 33-point outburst against the University of Texas in the Final Four set an NCAA tournament record for most points by a freshman.[12] In the championship game against the University of Kansas, Anthony had 20 points and 10 rebounds. For his efforts during the NCAA tournament, Anthony earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player Award.[13] Afterwards, Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim described Anthony as "[…] by far, the best player in college basketball. It wasn't even close. Nobody was even close to him last year in college basketball. That's the bottom line".[14]Anthony said that he originally planned to stay at Syracuse for two to three seasons, but having already accomplished everything he set out to do, he chose to abandon his collegiate career (with Boeheim's blessing) and declared himself eligible for the 2003 NBA Draft.[15][16] Some of Anthony's highlights in his time with Syracuse include being named Second-Team All-American by the Associated Press as a freshman, leading his team to a 30–5 record, capturing the school's first ever NCAA title and being the consensus pick for NCAA Freshman of the Year. He was also named to the All-Big East First Team and was the consensus selection for the Big East Conference Freshman of the Year.[17]
NBA career
Denver Nuggets (2003–2011)
Rookie season
Anthony's NBA career began on June 26, 2003, when he was chosen in the first round (3rd overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft draft by the Denver Nuggets. He was selected behind LeBron James (1st overall, Cleveland Cavaliers) and Darko Miličić (2nd overall, Detroit Pistons).[18] He made his NBA regular season debut on October 29, 2003, in an 80–72 home win against the San Antonio Spurs.[19] Anthony finished the night with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. In just his sixth career NBA game (November 7 versus the Los Angeles Clippers), Anthony scored 30 points, becoming the second youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points or more in a game (19 years, 151 days; Kobe Bryant was the youngest).[20] It was the fewest number of games a Nuggets rookie took to score 30 points in a contest since the ABA-NBA merger. On February 9, 2004, against the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony became the third-youngest player to reach the 1,000-point plateau in NBA history with a 20-point effort in an 86–83 win.[21]
On February 13, 2004, Anthony participated in the Got Milk? Rookie Challenge at All-Star Weekend.[22] On March 30, 2004, he scored 41 points against the Seattle SuperSonics to set a new Denver Nuggets franchise record for most points in a game by a rookie.[23] He also became the second-youngest player (19 years, 305 days) to score at least 40 points in a game in NBA history. After winning the Rookie of the Month award for the Western Conference in the month of April, Anthony became the fourth player in NBA history to capture all six of the Rookie of the Month awards in a season.[10] The others to do so were David Robinson, Tim Duncan and fellow rookie LeBron James.[17] Anthony was also named NBA Player of the Week twice (March 10, 2004 – March 14, 2004 and April 6, 2004 – April 10, 2004) and was a unanimous NBA All-Rookie First Team selection.[24] Anthony averaged 21.0 ppg during the season, which was more than any other rookie. Anthony was second in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting, finishing as the runner-up to the Cavaliers rookie standout, James.[25]Anthony was a major part in the turn around of the Denver Nuggets from league laughingstock to playoff contender. In the season before Anthony was drafted by the team, the Nuggets finished with a 17–65 record, which tied them for worst in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They finished the 2003–04 campaign with a 43–39 overall record, qualifying them as the eighth seed for the post-season. Anthony became the first NBA rookie to lead a playoff team in scoring since David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs during the 1989–90 season.[10] In the 2004 NBA Playoffs, the Nuggets faced the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. In Anthony's first career playoff game, he had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists, in a 106–92 loss at Minnesota.[26] The Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets in five games.[27]
2004–05 season
In Anthony's second season, he averaged 20.8 points per game, ranking him 19th in the NBA. Anthony placed 16th in the NBA for points per 48 minutes. On December 4, 2004, versus the Miami Heat, Anthony became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career points.[28] Only James and Bryant were younger when they reached that plateau. Anthony played again in the Got Milk? Rookie Challenge, this time suiting up for the sophomore squad. In front of his home fans of Denver (who were hosting the 2005 All-Star Game), Anthony scored a game-high 31 points to go along with 5 boards, 2 assists and 2 steals, en route to becoming the MVP of the game.[29]With Anthony's help, the Nuggets improved their season record by six games from the previous season, ending with a mark of 49–33. The Nuggets finished seventh place in the Western Conference (one spot higher than they finished the previous season). Denver faced the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round, winning the first game in San Antonio, 93–87.[30] However, the Spurs won the next four games, eliminating the Nuggets from the playoffs.[31]
2005–06 season
Anthony played and started in 80 games during the 2005–06 season. He averaged 26.5 ppg (8th, NBA), 2.7 apg, 4.9 rpg and 1.1 spg. His eighth place finish in NBA scoring was the highest finish by a Denver player since the 1990–91 season, when Nuggets guard Michael Adams finished the season sixth in NBA scoring. On November 23, 2005, with the Nuggets facing the two-time defending Eastern Conference Champion Detroit Pistons, Anthony hauled down his 1,000th career rebound. A month later, Anthony recorded a then career-high 45 points in a losing effort against the Philadelphia 76ers. On March 17, 2006, versus the Memphis Grizzlies, he scored 33 points to push his career point total over the 5,000 mark.[32] Also, in doing so, he became the second youngest player to accomplish that feat (behind James). As the month of March came to a close, the Nuggets finished 11–5, and Anthony was named as the NBA Player of the Month for March. He also took home Player of the Week honors for March 13, 2006 – March 19, 2006.[33]During the season, Anthony made five game-winning shots in the last five seconds: at Houston on January 8, 2006;[34] at home versus Phoenix on January 10;[35] at Minnesota on February 24;[36] at Indiana on March 15;[37] at home versus the Los Angeles Lakers on April 6.[38] All five of those game-winners were made on jump shots, while the shot against Minnesota was a three-point field goal. Anthony also made a shot in the final seconds to force overtime vs. the Dallas Mavericks on January 6.[39] He made shots in the final 22 seconds against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 18, 2006,[40] and the Philadelphia 76ers on March 9, which gave the Nuggets leads they would never lose.[41] Anthony was named to the All-NBA Third Team for the season, alongside Phoenix' Shawn Marion, Houston's Yao Ming, Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Washington's Gilbert Arenas.
The Nuggets finished the season in third place, winning the Northwest Division for the first time in Anthony's career. Denver faced the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs. The Clippers held home court advantage in the series, due to ending the regular season with a better record (Denver finished 44–38; Los Angeles finished 47–35). The Clippers won the first two games of the series on their home floor.[42] The Nuggets split their games at home in Denver (winning game three; losing game four).[43] Denver then lost game five at Los Angeles, which eliminated the Nuggets from the playoffs.[44] After the season, Anthony signed a 5 year, $80 million extension with the Nuggets.[45]
2006–07 season
In the eighth game of the season (a 117–109 home win against the Toronto Raptors), Anthony tied the franchise record of six-straight 30-point games recorded by Alex English (1982–83 season).[46] Coincidentally, Alex English witnessed Anthony tie his record as English is now an Assistant Coach with the Toronto Raptors. Anthony fell short of establishing a new record in his ninth game (a 113–109 home victory over the Chicago Bulls) on November 21, as he finished with 29 points.[47] After the Chicago victory, Anthony again tied the club record of six-straight 30-point games, failing to break it the second time around, as he scored 24 points in his 16th game (a 98–96 home loss to the Atlanta Hawks) on December 6.[48] During a game at Madison Square Garden on December 16, Anthony was one of many players involved in the infamous Knicks–Nuggets brawl.[49] Footage showed Anthony laying a punch on the face of New York's Mardy Collins and subsequently backing away. As a result of his actions, Anthony was suspended for 15 games by NBA commissioner David Stern.[50] Shortly thereafter, the Nuggets traded for Allen Iverson in a bid to form a deadly combination with Anthony. The duo didn't get to play alongside one another until a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 22, which was the day Anthony was allowed to return from his 15-game suspension.[51] Anthony finished the game with 28 points, as he and Iverson combined for 51 points.On February 2, 2007, Anthony and fellow teammate J.R. Smith were involved in a minor car accident.[52] Neither player was injured in the collision. The only information released by the team was that the car Smith was driving belonged to Anthony. Three days later, Anthony recorded his first career triple-double, with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, in a 113–108 loss to the Phoenix Suns.[53] When the reserves for the Western Conference All-Star team were announced, Anthony was not included on the roster.[54] However, with Yao Ming and Carlos Boozer out with injuries, NBA commissioner David Stern chose Anthony as a replacement (along with Josh Howard).[55] Anthony scored 20 points with 9 rebounds in his All-Star debut. Anthony was the first Denver Nugget to be named an All-Star since Antonio McDyess in 2001.
Anthony won Player of the Week honors three times during the season (November 20 – November 26; November 27 – December 3; and February 5 – February 11),[56][57] and received Player of the Month honors for April, after leading the Nuggets to a 10–1 record for the month and into sixth place in the final regular season standings of the Western Conference. Anthony finished the season as the league's second leading scorer behind Bryant, with an average of 28.9 ppg, while adding 6.0 rpg, 3.8 apg and 1.2 spg. He was named to All-NBA Third Team for the second straight year, along with Miami's Dwyane Wade, Detroit's Chauncy Billups, Minnesota's Kevin Garnett and Orlando's Dwight Howard. For the second time in three years, Anthony and the sixth-seeded Nuggets faced the third-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs. In a virtual repeat of the 2005 first round playoff matchup between the two teams, Denver won the first game in San Antonio, 95–89, only to lose the next four games. The Nuggets were eliminated in the first round for the fourth straight year. In the playoff series against the Spurs, Anthony averaged a team-high 26.8 ppg to go along with 8.6 rpg, 1.2 apg and 1.0 spg.
2007–08 season
On January 24, 2008, Anthony was named to his second consecutive NBA All-Star Game—his first as a starter.[58] He finished as the leading vote-getter among Western Conference forwards (1,723,701 votes) and second in overall voting to Kobe Bryant (2,004,940 votes) among all Western Conference players.[58] On February 8, Anthony scored a then career-high 49 points in a 111–100 home win over the Washington Wizards.[59] He had a field goal percentage of .760 on a 19-of-25 shooting effort, and his shooting percentage was the second highest in the last 13 years for a player who took 25 or more shots in a game (Bryant was first with a .769 field goal percentage on a 20-of-26 shooting effort, in a 99–94 road victory over the Houston Rockets on December 21, 2000).[59][60] On March 27, in a home win over the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony scored his 9,000th career point.[61] He played in 77 games during the regular season, finishing as the NBA's fourth-leading scorer with 25.7 points per game, and had career-highs in rebounds per game (7.4) and steals per game (1.3). He tied his career-high in blocks per game (0.5), and ended the season with 3.4 assists per game, which was the second-best mark of his career.The Nuggets finished the 2007–08 season with exactly 50 wins (50–32 overall record, tied for the third-best all-time Nuggets record since the team officially joined the NBA in 1976), following a 120–111 home victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the last game of the season.[62] It was the first time since the 1987-88 NBA season that the Nuggets finished with at least 50 wins in a season.[62] Denver ended up as the 8th seed in the Western Conference of the 2008 Playoffs, and their 50 wins marked the highest win total for an 8th seed in NBA history.[62] It also meant that for the first time in NBA history, all eight playoff seeds in a conference had at least 50 wins. The Nuggets faced the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers (57–25 overall record) in the first round of the Playoffs. The seven games separating the Nuggets overall record and the Lakers overall record is the closest margin between an eighth seed and a top seed since the NBA went to a 16-team playoff format in 1983–84.[62] The Lakers swept the Nuggets in four games, marking the second time in NBA history that a 50-win team was swept in a best-of-seven playoff series in the first round.[63][64] For the series, Anthony averaged 22.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg (playoff career-high), 2.0 apg and 0.5 spg.
2008–09 season
The 2008–09 campaign began with Allen Iverson being traded to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for guard Chauncey Billups.[65] On December 10, 2008, in a 116–105 home win over the Timberwolves, Anthony tied George Gervin for the most points scored in one quarter in NBA history by scoring 33 points in the third quarter.[66] Gervin had set the record when he was competing against David Thompson for the scoring title on the last day of the 1977–78 season. Anthony shot 12 of 15 (80%) in the third quarter and finished the game with 45 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals. On January 4, 2009, Anthony broke a bone in his hand in a game against the Indiana Pacers. He opted to have the hand splinted rather than have surgery; his recovery time was estimated at three to four weeks. He had already missed three games in late December with a sore elbow. Anthony returned from injury and to the Nuggets starting lineup on January 30, 2009 in a game against the Charlotte Bobcats in which he scored 19 points.[67] Anthony was suspended for one game by the Nuggets for staying on the court and refusing to leave the game after coach George Karl benched him during a game against the Pacers.[68]The Nuggets won the Northwest Division and placed 2nd in the Western Conference, finishing the season with a franchise record-tying 54 wins (54–28 overall). Anthony averaged 22.8 ppg and made a career high 37.1% of his shots from three-point range. After losing in 5 straight playoff appearances (2004–2008), on April 29, 2009, Anthony won his first playoff series when the Nuggets beat the New Orleans Hornets at home 107–86 where Anthony finished with a playoff career high 34 points and 4 steals. In a post-game conference Anthony said "Yeah, finally.. Took me 5 years to get that gorilla off my back, it's a great feeling." The Nuggets beat the Hornets in five games in the first round of the playoffs and proceeded to beat the Dallas Mavericks 4–1 in the conference semifinals with Anthony scoring 30 points in a solid game 5 performance. In the third game of the semifinals, Anthony made a last second three point shot to give the Nuggets the win after being down by 2 points (103–105). Denver advanced to the conference finals, but was eliminated, 4–2, by the Los Angeles Lakers on his birthday.
2009–10 season
In the opening two games of the 2009–10 season, Anthony totaled 71 points, scoring 30 points in the home opener and 41 the next night, in wins against division rivals Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers respectively.[69] Anthony became one of three players in the Nuggets' history to open with 70 or more points through two games—tied with Nick Van Exel with 71 points—surpassed only by Alex English who did it twice, in 1985 (79) and 1988 (74).[70] It was also only the second time since 1987 that the Nuggets started the season 2–0.[70] In their third game, Anthony scored 42 points,[71] a game after his 41-point explosion against the Blazers, becoming the first Nugget to have scored back-to-back 40-point games since Michael Adams did it in 1991.[72] It was the first time they went 3–0 since 1985.[72] In the month of November, Anthony was named the NBA player of the week and Western Conference Player of the Month, leading the Nuggets to a 12–5 start.[73][74]In the fifteenth regular season game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony entered the game leading the league in points per game (30.2) and was the only player in the league to score at least 20 points in every game.[75] He finished the game with 22 points which was his fifteenth consecutive game with at least 20 points breaking the previous franchise record of 14 straight set by English.[76] The following game, Anthony scored a career-high 50 points in a home game against the New York Knicks while teammate Chauncey Billups added 32 points in the game, making them only the third duo in NBA history to score at least 50 and 30 points respectively.[77] Two days later, Anthony scored 19 points in the first quarter—tying a season-high he made in the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers—in a home loss to the Timberwolves.[78] On January 21, 2010, Anthony was named as a starter for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game leading the Western Conference ballots in votes for forwards.[79] This was Anthony's third All-Star appearance and second as a starter. He finished the game with a team-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, in a losing effort as the team bowed to the Eastern Conference team.[80]
In the team's first game after the All-Star Game, the Nuggets visited the Cleveland Cavaliers in a highly-anticipated game with the Cavaliers having a 13-game winning streak. While LeBron James posted a triple-double of 43 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists, Anthony compiled 40 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in an overtime win as Anthony nailed a jumper over the outstretched arms of James with just 1.9 seconds left in the game, ending the Cavaliers' win streak.[81][82] On March 26, 2010, Anthony made a game-winning shot at the buzzer, after missing his first attempt, against the Toronto Raptors.[83] The Nuggets concluded the 2009–10 regular season with a 53–29 record and the Northwest Division title for the second straight season facing the Utah Jazz in the first-round.[84] In Game 1, Anthony scored a playoff-career high 42 points.[85][86] This also matched a franchise-playoff high for scoring in a single playoff game, tied with Alex English. However, the Nuggets lost the series to the Utah Jazz 4–2, with Anthony averaging a playoff career-high 30.7 points per game, along with 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals.
2010–11 season
On November 15, 2010, Anthony had 20 points and a career-high 22 rebounds for the first 20–20 game of his career against the Phoenix Suns.[87] He also hit game-winning jumper at the buzzer against the Bulls on November 26, 2010.[88] In December 2010, Anthony missed five games due to the death of his sister Michelle. He returned to the lineup in a game against the Kings on January 1, 2011.[89]New York Knicks (2011–present)
On February 22, 2011, Anthony was traded to the New York Knicks in a multi-player deal also involving the Minnesota Timberwolves.[90][91] Carmelo Anthony will wear number 7 with the Knicks, due to his former number 15 being retired by the Knicks for Earl Monroe and Dick McGuire. Anthony's first game with the Knicks was a 114–108 win against the Milwaukee Bucks in which he scored 27 points and had 10 rebounds and an assist. In game 2 of the NBA playoffs in Boston, Anthony tied a playoff career high with 42 points and also had 17 rebounds and 6 assists in a Knicks loss.United States national team
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s basketball | ||
Competitor for  United States | ||
 | ||
| Olympic Games | ||
| Gold | 2008 Beijing | Team competition |
| Bronze | 2004 Athens | Team competition |
| FIBA World Championship | ||
| Bronze | 2006 Japan | Team competition |
| FIBA Americas Championship | ||
| Gold | 2007 Las Vegas | Team competition |
| FIBA Americas U18 Championship | ||
| Bronze | 2002 Isla Margarita | Team competition |
After his rookie season, Anthony was chosen as a member of the 2004 USA Olympic basketball team that won the bronze medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He averaged 2.4 ppg and 1.6 apg.[17] Anthony was named co-captain (along with fellow 2003 draftees LeBron James and Dwyane Wade) of Team USA at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. The team won the bronze medal. On August 23, 2006, Anthony set the U.S. scoring record in a game with 35 points against Italy in the said FIBA tournament. The record was previously held by Kenny Anderson with 34 points in 1990.[93] Anthony was named to the FIBA World Championship All-Tournament Team, posting averages of 19.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.6 apg.[17]
On January 16, 2006, Anthony was chosen as USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year after his performance at the FIBA World Championship.[17] Anthony was also a member of Team USA during the 2007 FIBA Americas Championship. The team went undefeated, going 10–0. Anthony ended up as the tournament's second-leading scorer with a 21.2 ppg average (191 points in 9 games), which was behind Leandro Barbosa of Brazil. Anthony also added 5.2 rpg and 1.4 apg. He equalled the previous record of 28 points set by Allen Iverson in a qualifying tournament, which was later broken by James, who scored 31 points in the title-clinching win against Argentina.[94]
Anthony was also named to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, again alongside James and Wade, with Kobe Bryant and Jason Kidd among others. The team won its games by an average winning margin of 32.2 points, eliminating Australia in the quarterfinals by 31 and beating Argentina by 20 points. Anthony scored 21 points against Argentina, making 3 of 14 field goals and 13-of-13 in free throws, setting USA Olympic game records for made free throws and free throw percentage.[95] In the gold medal game, the United States defeated 2006 World Champion Spain, with Anthony scoring 13 points.[96] Anthony posted averages of 11.5 ppg (92 points/8 games), 4.3 rpg (34 rebounds/8 games) and 1.0 spg (8 steals/8 games).
Player profile
Anthony plays the small forward position though he is also capable of playing power forward. His scoring prowess is considered his best asset with his ability to take over any game on the offensive end;[97] he shares the single-game NBA record for mosts points in one quarter with thirty-three.[98] On offense, Anthony is recognized for being a prolific scorer with a variety of crafty offensive moves. Listed at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and 228 pounds (103 kg), he has strength and quickness to be an immediate and consistent scoring threat in the post.[99] He also likes creating space from his defenders which allows him to step into his jump shot or put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket and get to the free throw line.[100] Anthony is often known for being one of the premier clutch performers in the NBA; during the 2005–06 season, Anthony made five game-winning shots in the last five seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime.[1] Dave McMenamin, a staff writer for ESPN, wrote "If you were going to choose one player to challenge Bryant for his title of Mr. Clutch, it would have to be Anthony."[101] Despite being a prolific scorer, he has been criticized for his defense and has never been named to the NBA All-Defensive Team.[102]NBA career statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Denver | 82 | 82 | 36.5 | .426 | .322 | .777 | 6.1 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 21.0 |
| 2004–05 | Denver | 75 | 75 | 34.8 | .431 | .266 | .796 | 5.7 | 2.6 | .9 | 0.4 | 20.8 |
| 2005–06 | Denver | 80 | 80 | 36.8 | .481 | .243 | .808 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 26.5 |
| 2006–07 | Denver | 65 | 65 | 38.2 | .476 | .268 | .808 | 6.0 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 28.9 |
| 2007–08 | Denver | 77 | 77 | 36.4 | .492 | .354 | .786 | 7.4 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 25.7 |
| 2008–09 | Denver | 66 | 66 | 34.3 | .443 | .371 | .793 | 6.8 | 3.4 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 22.8 |
| 2009–10 | Denver | 69 | 69 | 38.2 | .458 | .316 | .830 | 6.6 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 28.2 |
| 2010–11 | Denver | 50 | 50 | 35.5 | .452 | .333 | .823 | 7.6 | 2.8 | .9 | 0.6 | 25.2 |
| 2010–11 | New York | 27 | 27 | 36.2 | .461 | .424 | .872 | 6.7 | 3.0 | .9 | 0.6 | 26.3 |
| Career | 591 | 591 | 36.4 | .459 | .320 | .806 | 6.3 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 0.5 | 24.8 | |
| All-Star | 4 | 3 | 24.8 | .547 | .200 | .500 | 8.3 | 1.5 | .5 | 0.3 | 18.3 |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Denver | 4 | 4 | 35.8 | .328 | .182 | .800 | 8.3 | 2.8 | 1.2 | .0 | 15.0 |
| 2004–05 | Denver | 5 | 5 | 36.0 | .422 | .000 | .813 | 5.4 | 2.0 | .6 | .2 | 19.2 |
| 2005–06 | Denver | 5 | 5 | 38.6 | .333 | .000 | .750 | 6.6 | 2.8 | .8 | .2 | 21.0 |
| 2006–07 | Denver | 5 | 5 | 42.0 | .480 | .500 | .795 | 8.6 | 1.2 | 1.0 | .0 | 26.8 |
| 2007–08 | Denver | 4 | 4 | 36.5 | .364 | .250 | .828 | 9.5 | 2.0 | .5 | .2 | 22.5 |
| 2008–09 | Denver | 16 | 16 | 38.3 | .453 | .364 | .826 | 5.8 | 4.1 | 1.8 | .6 | 27.2 |
| 2009–10 | Denver | 6 | 6 | 42.3 | .464 | .316 | .877 | 8.5 | 3.2 | 2.0 | .5 | 30.7 |
| Career | 45 | 45 | 38.6 | .424 | .339 | .818 | 7.1 | 3.0 | 1.3 | .4 | 24.5 |
Awards and honors
Main article: List of career achievements by Carmelo Anthony
- 4× All-NBA selection:
-
- Second team: 2010
- Third team: 2006, 2007, 2009
- 4× NBA All-Star: 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
- NBA Rookie Challenge MVP: 2005
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 2004
- Bronze medal with Team USA, 2004 Summer Olympic Games
- Bronze medal with Team USA, 2006 FIBA World Championship
- Gold medal with Team USA, 2007 FIBA Americas Championship
- Gold medal with Team USA, 2008 Summer Olympic Games
Controversies
In 2004, Anthony was cited for marijuana possession, after inspectors at Denver International Airport found marijuana in his backpack. Charges were later dropped after Anthony’s friend, James Cunningham, of St. Louis, signed an affidavit taking responsibility for the marijuana.[103] That same year, Anthony appeared in a video entitled, Stop Snitchin', which warned that residents of Baltimore who collaborated with the police would face violence.[104][105] Anthony later distanced himself from this video.[106] In 2006, Anthony’s friend, Tyler Brandon Smith, was pulled over in Anthony’s vehicle and cited for marijuana possession and three traffic violations.[103] Later that year, he was involved in the infamous Knicks–Nuggets brawl during a game at Madison Square Garden.[107] He was suspended 15 games as a result.[50]On April 14, 2008, Anthony was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, after being pulled over on southbound Interstate 25 at 20th Street in Denver for weaving through lanes and not dimming his lights.[108] Police spokesperson Detective Sharon Hahn said Anthony, who was alone in the car, failed a series of sobriety tests. He was ticketed and then released at police headquarters to a "sober responsible party."[108] A court date was set for May 14. The Nuggets suspended Anthony for two games due to the arrest. On June 24, 2008, Anthony pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while ability-impaired. The original sentence of driving while under the influence was dropped, and he was subsequently sentenced to one year of probation, 24 hours of community service and US$1,000 in court costs and fines.[109]
Personal life
In 2004, Anthony became engaged to La La. Their son, Kiyan Carmelo Anthony, was born on 7 March 2007.[111] Anthony and La La were married by Michael Eric Dyson on 10 July 2010 at Cipriani's in New York City before 320 guests.[112] The ceremony was filmed by VH1 for use in a reality series on the couple, titled La La's Full Court Wedding.[113][114]Charity work
In Denver, Anthony was a spokesman for the Family Resource Center and helped organize a Christmas party, entitled "A Very Melo Christmas," for less well-off children. In Baltimore, Anthony hosts an annual 3-on-3 tournament, known as "Melo's H.O.O.D. Movement 3 on 3 Challenge (Holding Our Own Destiny)" and is helping fund the revitalization of a local community center for local youth.[1][115] Anthony opened "The Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center" in Baltimore on December 14, 2006. He contributed $1.5 million to the Living Classrooms Foundation, a non-profit organization that "provides innovative hands-on-education, job-training and community service programs for over 35,000 children, youth and young adults in the east Baltimore community."[116]After the tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, Anthony donated $35,000 to relief efforts. He donated $1,000 per point scored against San Antonio and Houston on January 8 and 9, 2005 respectively.[1] Anthony also committed $3 million toward the construction of a newly-planned basketball practice facility at his alma mater, Syracuse University. According to the NBA's official website, "Anthony's gift represents one of the largest individual donations to Syracuse University Athletics and is also believed to be one of largest by a current professional athlete to the school they attended."[117] The practice facility will be called the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center. For charitable contributions totaling $4,282,000, Anthony was listed as number eight in "The Giving Back 30 List of Largest Charitable Donations by Celebrities in 2006" [118]
Other activities
Anthony was a guest star in the "Lost and Found" episode of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.[119] He also appeared in the music video for Common's song "Be" from the album Be in 2005.[120] Anthony is the only player to appear on the cover of all three EA Sports basketball franchises (NCAA March Madness, NBA Live and NBA Street).[121] In January 2009, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame selected Anthony as its professional athlete of the year for 2008. He and wrestler Henry Cejudo, also a 2008 gold medalist, were chosen to be the special award headliners for the induction banquet held on April 14, 2009.[122] On August 24, 2010, it was announced that Anthony and Dwight Howard will star in a movie together titled Amazing.[123]
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