ESPN’s Shams Charania recently reported that Carmelo Anthony will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. The 10-time All-Star will get in on the first ballot. Melo had an illustrious career and was one of the best scorers in all of NBA history. He is 10th on the NBA’s scoring list with 28,289 career points. For his career, the former third overall pick averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 total rebounds, and a three-point shooting percentage of 35.5 percent. Anthony made his living in the mid-range game where he became one of the deadliest mid-range shooters in league history. Not to mention, he is one of the most decorated US Olympians. With a resume like Anthony’s, it makes sense why he is now a first ballot Hall of Famer.
Carmelo Anthony to be Inducted into Basketball Hall of Fame
His Career
Melo has 10 All-Star selections, a scoring title, and six All-NBA Team selections on his basketball resume. The former Denver Nuggets small forward is also a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. He led Syracuse to a NCAA title in his lone season he spent in college. Coming out of college, Anthony had an immediate impact for the Denver Nuggets. He was selected two picks after LeBron James went first overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the legendary 2003 NBA Draft. The six-foot-seven wing led the Nuggets to the playoffs each season he spent with the organization. Melo was eventually traded back to his hometown New York Knicks where he also had an impact. There, he won a scoring title and authored 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game in 412 games with New York.
After seven years with the Knicks, Melo was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder where he teamed up with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. This was the downslope of Anthony’s prime as he started bouncing around the league. He had short stints with the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Melo did receive some Sixth Man of the Year consideration during his tenure with the Trail Blazers. Where Anthony truly found success was with the US Olympic Team. Anthony won a bronze medal in 2004 and then three straight gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016. He was an integral part of each gold medal winning squad and finished as the most decorated Olympic basketball player of all time. All in all, it was only a matter of time before Carmelo Anthony was selected to be a part of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
