Let's find out some anecdotes and curiosities about the 37-year-old Portland Trail Blazers player.
10. Has Puerto Rican origins
Carmelo Anthony is a half-Puerto Rican basketball player. Melo was born and raised in the United States, but he has Puerto Rican ancestors because his father was Puerto Rican and died when he was only two years old. Although Anthony has always worn the Team USA jersey, a tattoo of the Puerto Rican flag on his arm reminds him of his roots, and his wife, Lala Vazquez, is also half-Puerto Rican.
9. Rookie of the Week
Carmelo Anthony has been named Big East Rookie of the Week a total of ten times in his college career, which is a record. Melo dominated far and wide despite only being at Syracuse for a year, setting a record that is only surpassed by Allena Iverson, who received this honor 9 times in her first two years of university.
8. The NCAA title in the College
Carmelo Anthony's career, despite its briefness, was remarkable. Melo, like many others before and after him, could have entered the NBA straight out of high school, but he chose Syracuse, a school that was in so much trouble during those years that he left without even being seeded.
Anthony gave life to an incredible season, leading Syracuse to the NCAA tournament as the number three seed after a 24-5 record. He had 20 points and 10 rebounds against Oklahoma in the Elite Eight, 33 points and 14 rebounds against TJ Ford and his Longhorns in the Final Four, and 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in the championship game.
Carmelo was the first player in college history to lead his team to a championship in his first year, and Syracuse did not hesitate to collect his shirt even though he only stayed for one year.
7. The child with the father's name
Carmelo Anthony is the father of a child. Kiyan Carmelo Anthony is 12 years old, and his name is Kiyan Carmelo Anthony. He was born on March 7, 2007, to Lala Vazquez, Melo's girlfriend, and wife since 2010. The peculiarity is that it has the same name as the father, with only a few differences in consonants. Carmelo Kyam Anthony is his full name indeed.
6. Video Game cover man
Carmelo Anthony is the only player who has appeared on the covers of all three EA Sports games: NBA Live (2005), NCAA March Madness (2004), and NBA Street (2004). (2007).
5. Love for rap
Carmelo Anthony, like many other NBA players, has attempted to pursue a career outside of basketball. Most people try their hand at music with rap, but Anthony has opted for acting, making appearances in the television shows Nurse Jackie and Sons of Anarchy.
4. The 2006 brawl
Carmelo Anthony was suspended for 15 games in 2006 after a brawl on the field. JR Smith (also still in Denver) is stopped with a bad foul during a counterattack during a Denver Nuggets - New York Knicks game (at the time Melo was still playing for the Nuggets), sparking a fight in which Anthony, rushing to help his teammate, knocked Collins down with a punch. Seven players were suspended, with Carmelo Anthony receiving the longest suspension of 15 games.
3. He has a camel… domestic
Carmelo Anthony decided on a camel as a pet after being dissatisfied with dogs and cats. It's unclear where he keeps it or if he calls it "CaMelo" but this wild theory has been confirmed several times in the United States.
2. NBA Rookies of the Month
In his rookie season in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony won all six Rookie of the Month awards. This did not, however, allow him to win the Rookie of the Year award, as LeBron also won all of the Eastern Conference awards, including the championship.
1. The record with the New York Knicks
Carmelo Anthony holds the Knicks record for most points scored in a single game with 62. Melo scored 37 points in the first half and 25 points in the second half against the then-Charlotte Bobcats in January 2014, surpassing Kobe Bryant (who had scored 61 points in 2009) for the best performance ever at Madison Square Garden.
