Carmelo Kiyan Anthony (born May 29, 1984) is an American professional
basketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of 5 players try to score points against one another by placing a ball through a
10 foot high hoop under organized rules...
player for the
Denver NuggetsThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
, of the
National Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is a professional basketball league, composed of thirty teams in North America . It is an active member of USA Basketball , which is recognized by the International Basketball Federation as the National Governing Body for basketball in the United States...
(NBA). He has also played with the
United States national basketball teamThe USA men's national basketball team is the representative team for the United States of America in international men's basketball. The USA is one of the most successful teams in international competition, winning medals in all sixteen Olympic tournaments it has entered, coming away with thirteen...
. He went to Towson Catholic for high school and decided to go to Syracuse for college. As a freshman in college, Anthony led
Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, U.S.A.. It was founded as a university in 1870, but its roots can be traced back to a seminary founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832 which eventually became Genesee College...
to a 30–5 record and the school's first NCAA championship in
men's basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the American basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III.-Division I:There are 347 schools in 32...
in 2003. He was named the Most Outstanding Player (MOP) of the 2003
NCAA Final FourThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams. college basketball teams in the United States...
and MVP of NCAA East Regional. He was also named the consensus national Freshman of the Year and was a unanimous choice as the
Big East ConferenceThe Big East Men's Basketball Tournament determines the Big East Conference champion and the winner of the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Since 1983 the tournament has been held in Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York. In 2009, the Tournament will showcase all 16 teams...
Freshman of the Year. Anthony was selected as the third pick in the
2003 NBA DraftThe 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
and named the 2005 Rookie Challenge MVP.
Early years
Anthony was born in the
Red Hook projectsRed Hook is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, USA. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 6. It is also the location where the last remaining transatlantic liner, the RMS Queen Mary 2, docks in New York City....
in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
, New York City. He was born to a Puerto Rican father and an African American mother. His father, after whom he is named, died of
cancerCancer is a class of diseases in which a group of cells display uncontrolled growth , invasion , and sometimes metastasis...
when Anthony was two years old. When Anthony turned eight, his family moved to
BaltimoreBaltimore is an independent city and the largest city in the state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore City in order to distinguish it from surrounding...
, 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.
High school career
Anthony commuted to Towson Catholic High School for his first three years of high school. During the summer of 2000, when he grew five inches, he made a name for himself in the area, being named
The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries. The Sun was founded on May 17, 1837, by printer Arunah Shepherdson Abell and two associates. The Abell family...
s metro player of the year in 2001, as well as Baltimore Catholic LeagueThe Baltimore Catholic League , locally known as the Catholic League is a competitive basketball association composed of private Catholic high schools in the Baltimore, Maryland geographic area.- History :...
player of the year. Anthony transferred to Oak Hill AcademyFounded in 1878, Oak Hill Academy is a co-educational, private Baptist-affiliated secondary school in Mouth of Wilson , Virginia, U.S. Oak Hill's enrollment of approximately 150 students is 98% boarders, serving grades 8-12. It is accredited by the Virginia Association of Independent Schools.Oak...
in VirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" because it is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents. The geography and climate of the state are shaped by the Blue...
for his senior campaign. While at Oak Hill Academy, Anthony was named to the McDonald's All-American TeamThe McDonald's All-American Game is a game played each year for boys' and girls' high school basketball. Consisting of the top American players, the teams play a single exhibition game after the conclusion of the high school basketball season...
and won the SpriteSprite is a transparent, lemon-lime flavored, caffeine free soft drink, produced by the Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in the United States in 1961. This was Coke's response to the popularity of 7 Up, which had begun as "Lithiated Lemon" in 1929. It comes in a primarily silver, green, and...
Slam Jam dunk contest prior to the McDonald’s All-American game. He was also named a
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth...
First-Team All-American and a
ParadeParade is a national Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 400 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in America, Parade has a circulation of 32 million and a readership of 71 million.-Publishing...
First-Team All-American.
College career
Anthony played one season (2002-2003) at
Syracuse UniversityThe Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I, and the team competes in the Big East Conference...
. 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 tournamentThe NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single elimination tournament held each spring featuring 65 college basketball teams. college basketball teams in the United States...
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. Anthony's 33-point outburst against the
University of TexasThe Texas Longhorns men's basketball team represents The University of Texas at Austin in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Longhorns currently compete in the Big 12 Conference....
in the
Final FourThe 2003 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 2003, and ended with the championship game on April 7 in...
set an NCAA tournament record for most points by a freshman.
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 AwardAt the conclusion of the NCAA men's and women's Division I basketball championships , the Associated Press selects a Most Outstanding Player. The MOP need not be, but almost always is a member of the Championship team...
. Afterwards, Syracuse head coach
Jim BoeheimJames Arthur "Jim" Boeheim is the head coach of the men's basketball team at Syracuse University. In 33 seasons leading the Orange, Boeheim has guided his team to seven Big East regular season championships, five Big East Tournament championships, and 25 NCAA Tournament appearances, including...
described Anthony as “[…] by far, the best player in
college basketballCollege basketball most often refers to the American basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III.-Division I:There are 347 schools in 32...
. It wasn't even close. Nobody was even close to him last year in college basketball. That's the bottom line.”
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 DraftThe 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
. Some of Anthony's highlights in his time with Syracuse include being named Second-Team All-American by the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
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.
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 DraftThe 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
draft by the
Denver NuggetsThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. He was selected behind
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James," he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar...
(1st overall,
Cleveland CavaliersThe Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team and won their first Eastern Conference Championship in 2007.-1970–1980: Expansion and early hope:The Cavaliers first...
) and
Darko MiličićDarko Miličić is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a member of the New York Knicks, the fourth NBA team for which he has played in his career. He was selected by the Detroit Pistons as the 2nd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft...
(2nd overall,
Detroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons is a team in the National Basketball Association based in the Detroit metropolitan area. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills.-From Fort Wayne to Detroit:...
). He made his NBA regular season debut on October 29, 2003, in an 80–72 home win against the
San Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They play in the National Basketball Association ....
. 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 ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the National Basketball Association and are members of the NBA Western Conference's Pacific Division. The club's home games are played at the Staples Center, which they share with the Los...
), 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 BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation...
was the youngest). It was the fewest number of games a Nuggets rookie took to score 30 points in a contest since the
ABA-NBA mergerThe ABA-NBA merger was the merger of the American Basketball Association with the National Basketball Association, which after multiple attempts over several years finally occurred in 1976.- Origins of ABA-NBA competition :...
. On February 9, 2004, against the
Memphis GrizzliesFor the World Football League team of the 1970s, see Memphis SouthmenThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, 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. (See
2003-04 NBA seasonThe 2003–04 NBA season was the 58th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 in the 2004 NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
).
On February 13, 2004, Anthony participated in the
Got Milk?Got Milk? is an American advertising campaign encouraging the consumption of cow's milk, which was created by the advertising agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners for the California Milk Processor Board in 1993 and later licensed for use by milk processors and dairy farmers. It has been running...
Rookie ChallengeThe The T-Mobile NBA Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam is a competition held during the NBA All-Star Weekend on the Friday prior to the regular All-Star game. From 1994 until 1998, the event was called the "Rookie Game," and composed entirely of first-year players...
at All-Star Weekend. In 30 minutes of playing time, Anthony scored 17 points, grabbed 3 rebounds and dished out 5 assists in a losing effort (142-118). On March 30 of that year, he scored 41 points against the
Seattle SuperSonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
to set a new Denver Nuggets franchise mark for most points in a game by a rookie. 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 ConferenceThe Western Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each....
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. The others to do so were
David RobinsonDavid Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". Robinson and teammate power forward Tim Duncan,...
,
Tim DuncanTimothy "Tim" Theodore Duncan is a Virgin Islander American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association...
and fellow rookie
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James," he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar...
. 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. Anthony averaged 21.0 ppg during the season, which was more than any other rookie. That mark also placed him 12th overall in the entire league. Anthony was second in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting, finishing as the runner-up to the Cavaliers rookie standout, James.
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
2003-04The 2003–04 NBA season was the 58th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 4-1 in the 2004 NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
campaign with a 43–39 overall record, qualifying them as the eighth seed for the
post-seasonThe National Basketball Association Playoffs is a best-of-seven elimination tournament between sixteen teams in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference , ultimately deciding the final four teams who will play in the NBA Conference Finals.-Format:Following the NBA regular season, eight teams...
. Anthony became the first NBA rookie to lead a playoff team in scoring since
David RobinsonDavid Maurice Robinson is a retired American NBA basketball player, who played center for the San Antonio Spurs for his entire NBA career. Based on his prior service as an officer in the United States Navy, Robinson earned the nickname "The Admiral". Robinson and teammate power forward Tim Duncan,...
of the
San Antonio SpursThe San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They play in the National Basketball Association ....
during the
1989-90 seasonThe 1989–90 NBA season was the 44th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Detroit Pistons winning their second-straight NBA Championship, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 4 games to 1 in the NBA Finals....
. The Nuggets faced the top-seeded
Minnesota TimberwolvesThe Minnesota Timberwolves are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Their organization is a member of the National Basketball Association .-Early struggles:...
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. The Timberwolves eliminated the Nuggets in five games.
2004–05 season
In Anthony's second season, he started all 82 games for the Denver Nuggets. 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,
2004The 2004–05 NBA season was the 59th season of the National Basketball Association . It began on November 2, 2004 and ended June 23, 2005. The season ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating defending champion Detroit Pistons 4–3 in the NBA Finals....
, versus the
Miami HeatThe Miami Heat are a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena...
, Anthony became the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 2,000 career points. 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 GameThe 2005 NBA All-Star Game was a major basketball game played on February 20, 2005 at Pepsi Center home of Denver Nuggets featuring the best players in the National Basketball Association as selected by fans and coaches....
), 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.
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 ConferenceThe Western Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each....
(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. However, the Spurs won the next four games, eliminating the Nuggets from the playoffs.
2005–06 season
Anthony played and started in 80 games during the 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 AdamsMichael Adams is a former NBA player and basketball coach.After starring at Boston College, the 5'10" point guard was selected by the Sacramento Kings in the 3rd round with the 66th pick of the 1985 NBA Draft...
finished the season sixth in NBA scoring.
On November 23, 2005, with the Nuggets facing the two-time defending
Eastern ConferenceThe Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, organized in three divisions of five teams each.The three division winners and the non-division winner with the best record are seeded 1 through 4 for the playoffs in order of their records, with all...
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 76ersThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association .-Syracuse Nationals:...
. On March 17, 2006, versus the
Memphis GrizzliesFor the World Football League team of the 1970s, see Memphis SouthmenThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, he scored 33 points to push his career point total over the 5,000 mark. 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.
During the season, Anthony made five game-winning shots in the last five seconds: at
HoustonThe Houston Rockets is an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
on January 8, 2006; at home versus
PhoenixThe Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Their home arena is the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix at Copper Square.The Suns have been generally...
on January 10; at Minnesota on February 24; at
IndianaI think Halo is a pretty cool guy. eh kills aleins and doesn't afraid of anything...-ABA years: Dynasty:In early 1967, a group of six investors pooled their resources to purchase a franchise in the proposed American Basketball Association.According to Indianapolis attorney...
on March 15; at home versus the
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, which they share with their fellow NBA rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their sister team, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA...
on April 6. 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 MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas, USA. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association ....
on January 6. He made shots in the final 22 seconds against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 18, 2006, and the Philadelphia 76ers on March 9, which gave the Nuggets leads they would never lose.
Anthony was named to the
All-NBAThe All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The team has been selected in every season of the...
Third Team for the season, alongside Phoenix'
Shawn MarionShawn Dwayne Marion is an American professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks...
, Houston's
Yao MingYao Ming is a professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
,
Philadelphia'sThe Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association .-Syracuse Nationals:...
Allen IversonAllen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies....
and
Washington'sThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
Gilbert ArenasGilbert Jay Arenas Jr. is an Cuban-American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association . He currently plays for the Washington Wizards. Arenas plays as a point guard and shooting guard....
.
The Nuggets finished the season in third place, winning the
Northwest DivisionThe Northwest Division is a division in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association. The division was created at the start of the 2004–05 season. The Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz came from the now-defunct Midwest Division and the Portland Trail Blazers...
for the first time in Anthony's career. Denver faced the sixth-seeded
Los Angeles ClippersThe Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the National Basketball Association and are members of the NBA Western Conference's Pacific Division. The club's home games are played at the Staples Center, which they share with the Los...
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. The Nuggets split their games at home in Denver (winning game three; losing game four). Denver then lost game five at Los Angeles, which eliminated the Nuggets from the playoffs.
2006–07 season
In the eighth game of the season (a 117-109 home win against the
Toronto RaptorsThe Toronto Raptors are a professional basketball team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are part of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1995, along with the Vancouver Grizzlies, as part of the NBA's expansion...
), Anthony tied the franchise record of six-straight 30-point games recorded by
Alex EnglishAlex English is a retired American basketball player and current assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association who played at the forward position. He played at the University of South Carolina and most notably with the National Basketball Association's Denver Nuggets...
(
1982-83 seasonThe 1982–83 NBA season was the 37th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Philadelphia 76ers winning the NBA Championship, sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 0 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
). 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 BullsThe Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
) on November 21, as he finished with 29 points. 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 HawksThe Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Hawks are coached by Mike Woodson, who is in his fifth season at the helm.-The first years:The...
) on December 6. During a game at
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
on December 16, Anthony was one of many players involved in the infamous Knicks–Nuggets brawl. Footage showed Anthony laying a punch on the face of New York's
Mardy CollinsMardy Collins is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA...
and subsequently backing away. As a result of his actions, Anthony was suspended for 15 games by NBA commissioner
David SternDavid Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association . He began his association with the NBA in 1966 as outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980...
. Shortly thereafter, the Nuggets traded for
Allen IversonAllen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies....
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 GrizzliesFor the World Football League team of the 1970s, see Memphis SouthmenThe Memphis Grizzlies are a professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
on January 22, which was the day Anthony was allowed to return from his 15-game suspension. 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. SmithEarl Smith III, known as J. R. Smith , is an American professional basketball player currently with the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association.-High school:...
were involved in a minor car accident. 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 SunsThe 2006-07 Phoenix Suns season started with the team trying to return to the Western Conference Finals, where they were eliminated in six games by the Dallas Mavericks in the previous season, 2005-06...
. When the reserves for the Western Conference All-Star team were announced, Anthony was not included on the roster. However, with
Yao MingYao Ming is a professional basketball player who plays for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
and
Carlos BoozerCarlos Austin Boozer, Jr. is an American professional basketball player and an Olympic gold medalist currently with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association.-Biography:...
out with injuries, NBA commissioner
David SternDavid Joel Stern is the commissioner of the National Basketball Association . He began his association with the NBA in 1966 as outside counsel, joined the NBA in 1978 as General Counsel, and became the league's Executive Vice President in 1980...
chose Anthony as a replacement (along with
Josh HowardJoshua Jay Howard is an American professional basketball player. At and , he starts at small forward for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. His nickname is "J-Ho".-High school:...
). Anthony scored 20 points with 9 rebounds in his
All-StarThe 2007 NBA All-Star Game was played on Sunday, February 18, 2007 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. It was the 56th annual All-Star Game. It was the first time the All-Star Game was played in a city without an NBA franchise and...
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), 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'sThe Miami Heat are a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena...
Dwyane WadeDwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. , nicknamed "Flash" or "D-Wade", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association . Wade was named 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
, Detroit's Chauncy Billups, Minnesota's
Kevin GarnettKevin Maurice Garnett is an American professional basketball player who currently plays at the power forward for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association . After having a successful high school basketball career at Farragut Career Academy, he decided to forgo college and entered...
and
Orlando'sThe Orlando Magic are a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
Dwight HowardDwight David Howard , nicknamed "Superman", is an American basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association . Howard, who usually plays center but can also play power forward, had an outstanding high school career at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy...
. 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. He finished as the leading vote-getter among
Western ConferenceThe Western Conference of the National Basketball Association is made up of fifteen teams, and organized in three divisions of five teams each....
forwards (1,723,701 votes) and second in overall voting to
Kobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation...
(2,004,940 votes) among all Western Conference players. On February 8, Anthony scored a career-high 49 points in a 111-100 home win over the
Washington WizardsThe Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
. He had a
field goal percentageField goal percentage in basketball is the ratio of field goals made to field goals attempted. Its abbreviation is FG%. Three-point field goals are included in this percentage. Instead of using scales of 0 to 100%, the scale .000 to 1.000 is commonly used. A higher field goal percentage denotes...
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).
On March 27, in a 118–105 Nuggets home win over the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony scored his 9,000th career point. 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 seasonThe 2007–08 NBA season was the 62nd season of the National Basketball Association. The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 30, 2007, and ended on Wednesday, April 16, 2008...
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. It was the first time since the
1987-88 NBA seasonThe 1987–88 NBA season was the 42nd season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Los Angeles Lakers winning their second straight Championship, beating the Detroit Pistons in seven hard fought games in the NBA Finals, becoming the NBA's first repeat champions since the...
that the Nuggets finished with at least 50 wins in a season. Denver ended up as the 8th seed in the Western Conference of the
2008 PlayoffsThe 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
, and their 50 wins marked the highest win total for an 8th seed in NBA history. 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
1983–84The 1983–84 NBA season was the 38th season of the National Basketball Association. The season ended with the Boston Celtics winning the NBA Championship, beating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 in the NBA Finals.-Notable occurrences:...
. 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. For the series, Anthony averaged 22.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg (playoff career-high), 2.0 apg and 0.5 spg.
2008–09 season
On December 10, 2008, in a 116-105 home win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Anthony tied
George GervinGeorge "The Iceman" Gervin is a retired American professional basketball player; a shooting guard for the American Basketball Association's Virginia Squires and San Antonio Spurs and the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs and Chicago Bulls...
for the most points scored in one quarter in NBA history by scoring 33 points in the third quarter. Gervin had set the record when he was competing against
David ThompsonDavid Thompson may refer to:In exploration:*David Thompson , founder of the first European settlement in New Hampshire, United States...
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. Anthony was suspended for one game by the Nuggets for staying on the court and refusing to leave the game after coach
George KarlGeorge Matthew Karl is an American retired National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player and current head coach of the Denver Nuggets. Karl is currently 12th on the all-time win list for coaches in the NBA.-Biography:Karl was born in Penn Hills, Pittsburgh,...
benched him during a game against the
Indiana PacersI think Halo is a pretty cool guy. eh kills aleins and doesn't afraid of anything...-ABA years: Dynasty:In early 1967, a group of six investors pooled their resources to purchase a franchise in the proposed American Basketball Association.According to Indianapolis attorney...
.
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, 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 have beaten the
Dallas MavericksThe Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas, USA. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association ....
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 finalsThe National Basketball Association Conference Finals are the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Championship series of the NBA. The Conference Finals are best-of-seven series like the NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals. The two series are played in late May each year after the first and second...
, but was eliminated 4-2 to the
Los Angeles LakersThe Los Angeles Lakers are a National Basketball Association team based in Los Angeles, California. The Lakers play their home games at Staples Center, which they share with their fellow NBA rival, the Los Angeles Clippers, and their sister team, the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA...
on his birthday.
Regular season
|-
| align="left" | 2003–04
| align="left" |
DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 82
|| 82
|| 36.5 || .426 || .322 || .777 || 6.1 || 2.8 || 1.2 || 0.5
|| 21.0
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 75 || 75 || 34.8 || .431 || .266 || .796 || 5.7 || 2.6 || .9 || 0.4 || 20.8
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 80 || 80 || 36.8 || .481 || .243 || .808
|| 4.9 || 2.7 || 1.1 || 0.5
|| 26.5
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | Denver
| 65 || 65 || 38.2
|| .476 || .268 || .808
|| 6.0 || 3.8
|| 1.2 || 0.3 || 28.9
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Denver
| 77 || 77 || 36.4 || .492
|| .354 || .786 || 7.4
|| 3.4 || 1.3
|| 0.5
|| 25.7
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Denver
| 66 || 66 || 34.3 || .443 || .371 || .793 || 6.8 || 3.4 || 1.1 || 0.4 || 22.8
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 445 || 445 || 36.1 || .460 || .307 || .796 || 6.1 || 3.1 || 1.1 || 0.4 || 24.2
|-
| align="left" | All-Star
| align="left" |
| 2 || 1 || 23.5 || .563 || .000 || .667 || 8.0 || 1.0 || .5 || 0.0 || 19.0
Playoffs
|-
| align="left" |
2003–04The 2004 NBA Playoffs were the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2003–04 season. Consisting of 16 teams in two conferences, the playoffs involved about two months of play. The playoffs were conducted in seven-game series, with the team with the better record holding home court...
| align="left" |
DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 4 || 4 || 35.8 || .328 || .182 || .800 || 8.3 || 2.8 || 1.2 || .0 || 15.0
|-
| align="left" |
2004–05The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
| align="left" |
DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 5 || 5 || 36.0 || .422 || .000 || .813 || 5.4 || 2.0 || .6 || .2 || 19.2
|-
| align="left" |
2005–06The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season.The 2006 NBA Champions were the Miami Heat who won the first championship in the history of the franchise. The team defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals. The Heat's Dwyane Wade was...
| align="left" |
DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 5 || 5 || 38.6 || .333 || .000 || .750 || 6.6 || 2.8 || .8 || .2 || 21.0
|-
| align="left" |
2006–07The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" |
DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 5 || 5 || 42.0
|| .480
|| .500
|| .795 || 8.6 || 1.2 || 1.0 || .0 || 26.8
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 4 || 4 || 36.5 || .364 || .250 || .828
|| 9.5
|| 2.0 || .5 || .2 || 22.5
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | DenverThe Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 16
|| 16
|| 38.3 || .453 || .364 || .826 || 5.8 || 4.1
|| 1.8
|| .6
|| 27.2
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 39 || 39 || 38.1 || .416 || .343 || .807 || 6.8 || 2.9 || 1.2 || .3 || 23.6
Controversies
Since entering the NBA, Anthony has been the subject of numerous controversies. In 2004, he was cited for marijuana possession, after inspectors at
Denver International AirportDenver International Airport , often called DIA, is, by land size at , the largest international airport in the United States, and the third largest international airport in the world after King Fahd International Airport and Montreal-Mirabel International Airport...
found marijuana in his backpack. Charges were later dropped after Anthony’s friend, James Cunningham, of
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
, signed an affidavit taking responsibility for the marijuana. That same year, Anthony appeared in a video entitled,
Stop Snitchin'Stop Snitchin' refers to a controversial campaign derived from an older commonly used slang expression of the same name and meaning. The campaign was launched in Baltimore, USA to persuade criminal informants to stop "snitching," or informing, to law enforcement...
, which warned that residents of Baltimore who collaborated with the police would face violence. Anthony later distanced himself from this video. In 2006, Anthony’s friend, Tyler Brandon Smith, was pulled over in Anthony’s vehicle and cited for marijuana possession and three traffic violations. Later that year, he was involved in the infamous Knicks–Nuggets brawl during a game at
Madison Square GardenMadison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four arenas in New York City. It is also the name of the entity which owns the arena and several of the professional sports franchises which play there. There have been four incarnations of...
. He was suspended 15 games as a result.
On April 14, 2008, Anthony was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, after being pulled over on southbound
Interstate 25Interstate 25 is an Interstate Highway in the western United States. Its odd number indicates that it is primarily a north-south highway...
at 20th Street in
DenverThe City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Colorado, in the United States. Denver is a consolidated city-county located in the South Platte River Valley on the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
for weaving through lanes and not dimming his lights. 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." 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
probationProbation is a sentence which may be imposed by a court in lieu of incarceration. A criminal who is "on probation" has been convicted of a crime but has served only part of the sentence in jail, or has not served time at all...
, 24 hours of
community serviceCommunity service is an act by a person that benefits the local community. People become involved in community service for many reasons: for some, serving community is an altruistic act, for others it is a punishment....
and US$1,000 in court costs and fines.
United States national team
Anthony was one of 12 players named to the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team in the summer of 2002. He was a member of the bronze-medal winning Team USA at the 2002 Men’s Junior World Championship held in La Asuncion, Margarita, Venezuela. He started all five contests and averaged a team-best 15.6 ppg despite playing an average of just 22.2 minutes an outing. His 6.2 rebound mark ranked second on the club. Anthony had 15 points and nine rebounds in a first-round win against Dominican Republic. He had 21 points and seven boards in 21 minutes versus Mexico, another Team USA triumph. He keyed a 75-73 victory against Argentina with a team-leading 23 points. In a two-point semifinal loss to host Venezuela, Anthony contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. Team USA earned the bronze by beating Argentina, 71-65. The squad was coached by Oregon mentor
Ernie KentErnie Kent is the current head men's basketball coach at the University of Oregon. He has been the Ducks' coach since he replaced Jerry Green after Green left for University of Tennessee following the 1996-97 season. Prior to becoming head coach at Oregon, Kent was an assistant at Stanford...
. Anthony had previous USA Basketball experience as a participant in the 2001 Youth Development Festival.
Anthony was chosen as a member of the 2004 USA Olympic basketball team that won the bronze medal at the
2004 Athens OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. He averaged 2.4 ppg and 1.6 apg.
Anthony was named co-captain (along with fellow 2003 draftees
LeBron JamesLeBron Raymone James is an American professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association . Nicknamed "King James," he was a three-time "Mr. Basketball" of Ohio in high school, and was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar...
and
Dwyane WadeDwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. , nicknamed "Flash" or "D-Wade", is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Miami Heat in the National Basketball Association . Wade was named 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated...
) of Team USA at the
2006 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
. 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 AndersonKenneth "Kenny" Anderson is an American basketball player. After an extraordinary college career at Georgia Institute of Technology, he went on to play point guard for more than a decade in the National Basketball Association.He most recently has been hosting various basketball skills camps for...
with 34 points in 1990. Anthony was named to the FIBA World Championship All-Tournament Team, posting averages of 19.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg and 1.6 apg.
On January 16, 2006, Anthony was chosen as USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year after his performance at the
FIBA World ChampionshipThe FIBA World Championship is a world basketball tournament for men's national teams held quadrennially by the International Basketball Federation ....
.
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 BarbosaLeandro Mateus Barbosa is a Brazilian professional basketball player, who plays at the guard position with the Phoenix Suns in the National Basketball Association...
of Brazil. Anthony also added 5.2 rpg and 1.4 apg. He equalled the previous record of 28 points set by
Allen IversonAllen Ezail Iverson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies....
in a qualifying tournament, which was later broken by James, who scored 31 points in the title-clinching win against Argentina.
Anthony was also named to the
2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 302 events in 28 sports, one...
in Beijing, again alongside James and Wade with
Kobe BryantKobe Bean Bryant is an American shooting guard who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career and made instant headlines when he decided to go directly into the NBA upon graduation...
and
Jason KiddJason Frederick Kidd is an American professional basketball player in the NBA who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks. He led the New Jersey Nets to two consecutive NBA Finals appearances and is considered to be one of the best players of his generation...
among others, with the mission of bringing back the Gold Medal to the USA. The team overpowered its opponents with an average winning margin of 32.2 points in five games. The team eliminated Australia in the quarterfinals by 31 then finally went over its final four mishaps in the past by beating Argentina by 20 points. After playing second fiddle to his teammates up to the quarterfinal match, Anthony played his best game against Argentina by topscoring with 21 points, 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.
In the gold medal game, Team USA defeated
2006 World ChampionThe 2006 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball competition hosted by Japan from August 19 to September 3, 2006. It was co-organised by the International Basketball Federation , Japan Basketball Association and the 2006 Organizing Committee...
SpainThe Spanish national basketball team is the basketball team representing Spain in international competitions. As of September 2009, they are the reigning World and European champions and third in the FIBA World Rankings for men. .-Eurobasket:...
and lived up to its "Redeem Team" moniker, with Anthony scoring 13 points. 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).
Charity work
Off the court, Anthony donates time and money to causes in Denver and Baltimore. In Denver, Anthony is a spokesman for the Family Resource Center and helps 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.
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."
After the
tsunamiA is a series of water waves that is caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, such as an ocean. The original Japanese term literally translates as "harbor wave." Tsunamis are a frequent occurrence in Japan; approximately 195 events have been recorded...
caused by the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquakeThe 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman 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.
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." The practice facility will be called the
Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball CenterThe Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center is a college basketball practice facility, currently under construction in Syracuse, New York. Both the men's and women's basketball teams for Syracuse University will use the center. The planned facility will house two practice courts, locker rooms and...
.
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"
Personal life
Anthony has two brothers, Robert and Wilford, a sister Michelle, and a half-sister Daphne. His mother, Mary, is
African AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the black populations of Africa. In the United States, the terms are generally used for Americans with at least partial Sub-Saharan African ancestry...
, and his father was Puerto Rican.
Anthony became engaged to La La Vasquez on Christmas Day, 2004. They have a son, Kiyan Carmelo Anthony, born on March 7, 2007.
Anthony was a guest star in the "Lost and Found" episode of
Ned's Declassified School Survival GuideNed's Declassified School Survival Guide is an American live-action situation comedy on Nickelodeon that debuted in the channel's Sunday night TEENick scheduling block on September 12, 2004. The series' actual pilot episode aired on September 7, 2003 without many of the current version's main...
. In the episode, Ned finds a pair of sneakers autographed by Anthony in the school's lost and found and attempts to claim the shoes for his own.
Anthony was in the music video for CommonLonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. , better known by his stage name Common , is an American actor and rapper....
's song "Be" from the album Be in 2005.
Anthony is the only player to appear on the cover of all three
EA SportsEA Sports is a brand name used by Electronic Arts since 1993 to distribute games based on sports. Formerly a gimmick inside Electronic Arts sports games, that tried to mimic real-life sports networks, calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as...
basketball franchises (NCAA March Madness, NBA Live and
NBA StreetNBA Street is a series of basketball video games produced by EA Sports BIG. It combines the talent and big names of the NBA with the attitude and atmosphere of streetball...
). He was on the covers of NCAA March Madness 2004,
NBA Live 2005NBA Live 2005 is the 2005 installment of the NBA Live video games series. The cover features Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets. The game was developed by EA Sports and released on September 28, 2004.-Soundtrack:*Bump J - "We Don't Play No Games"...
and NBA Street Homecourt.
In January 2009, Colorado Sports Hall of Fame selected Anthony as its professional athlete of the year for 2008. He and wrestler
Henry CejudoHenry Cejudo is a freestyle wrestler, who won a gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He is the youngest American ever to have won an Olympic wrestling gold medal.-Wrestling career:...
, also a
2008The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 302 events in 28 sports, one...
gold medalA gold medal is typically the highest medal awarded for achievement in a non-military field. The concept comes from the military, initially with a simple recognition of military rank, and later decorations for admission to military orders dating back to medieval times.Since the eighteenth century,...
ist, were chosen to be the special award headliners for the induction banquet held on April 14 2009.
See also
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of famous African-Americans
- Kross Over Entertainment
Kross Over Entertainment is a recording company founded by NBA basketball star Carmelo Anthony.-Brief overview:The label's first single is Berg's "Hold Up", which features Houston hip-hop group UGK.-Kross Over Entertainment artists:...
- Air Melo Line
The Air Melo Line of shoes is made by Nike, under the Air Jordan brand. The Air Melo's are the signature shoes of NBA star Carmelo Anthony. Currently there are five different shoes out. The first two shoes made, the Air Jordan Melo 1.5, and the Air Jordan Melo 5.5, were not completely Carmelo's...
External links