Carmelo Anthony Enshrined in Hall of Fame
Carmelo Anthony, a beloved figure from the Knicks, never clinched an NBA championship or made it to the NBA Finals over his 19 seasons in the league. Yet, he’s reaching a significant milestone as he gets enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this Saturday.
Anthony, a 10-time All-Star and the 10th leading scorer in NBA history, played for the New York Knicks from 2011 to 2017. He was honored in his first year of eligibility after amassing 28,289 points, with a career average of 22.5 points per game. His peak performance came during the 2012-13 season when he led the league with an average of 28.7 points per game.
The Knicks experienced a bit of a revival during that period, winning 54 regular-season games and progressing to the second round of the playoffs, breaking a dreary stretch of two decades from 2000 to 2022.
Reflecting on the upcoming ceremony while speaking to reporters in Springfield, Connecticut, Anthony shared, “One thing that stands out is that we are all here. For me, it’s surreal to be recognized by the giants of basketball as I head into the Hall of Fame; it’s hard to articulate that feeling.”
In college, he had a stellar season with Syracuse, winning the NCAA Championship as a freshman under coach Jim Boeheim. Additionally, he collected three Olympic gold medals representing Team USA in 2008, 2012, and 2016. His achievements place him just behind Kevin Durant, who has four golds to his name.
Selected third overall in the 2003 NBA Draft, two spots behind LeBron James, Anthony hails from Brooklyn. He made headlines in February 2011 when he was traded from the Nuggets to the Knicks in a major deal, which involved several players and future draft picks.
Throughout his time in New York, fans greeted his achievements with enthusiasm, especially when his number 7 jersey was announced at Madison Square Garden. “I embraced the challenge of being in New York,” he noted. “I understood the expectations. This city is the basketball mecca, and that’s something to honor with humility and joy.”
Recently, Anthony’s 18-year-old son, Kiyan, who is starting his freshman year at Syracuse, shared a touching message celebrating his father’s Hall of Fame induction. “Dad, you’ve made it to the Hall of Fame of My Life,” wrote Kiyan. “All that hard work, everything you do that often goes unseen—I’ve watched you through it all.”
Carmelo also appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” where he affectionately referred to LeBron James as “my brother” but humorously suggested it might be time for him to slow down a bit.
The 2025 Hall of Fame class also includes notable figures like eight-time All-Star Dwight Howard and coaching legend Jim Calhoun from UConn, along with a standout from Rick Pitino’s 1987 Providence team.
