Melo is headed to the Hall. All I can say is: Darn. Freaking. Straight.
On Wednesday, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported via X that Syracuse basketball legend Carmelo Anthony has been elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's class of 2025.
A huge congrats to the 6-foot-8 forward, whose son, Kiyan, is a 2025 four-star shooting guard who will compete for the Orange beginning in the upcoming campaign.
First ballot: Carmelo Anthony has been notified that he's been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025, sources tell ESPN. Anthony made 10 All-Star appearances and six All-NBA teams in 19 seasons to go along with three Olympic gold medals for Team USA. pic.twitter.com/b079xHPqZB
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2025
For Carmelo Anthony, who retired after 19 seasons in the NBA roughly two years ago, this well-deserved Hall of Fame induction caps a storied hoops career. Oh, and earlier this week, word came out that he will deliver Syracuse University's 2025 commencement address, which is lovely.
In mid-February, Anthony was named as one of 17 finalists for the Hall of Fame's 2025 class, and I figured it was a foregone conclusion that Melo would get in on the first ballot.
Sure, he didn't win an NBA championship, and Anthony also never reached an NBA Finals. But if you peel back the layers, undeniably (and I admit I'm a homer), Carmelo Anthony deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. He now has it, and I'm delighted to no end.
Syracuse basketball icon Carmelo Anthony is going to the Hall of Fame.
Melo, as a pro, made 10 All-Star appearances and six All-NBA teams. He claimed three Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball. He's currently No. 10 on the NBA's all-time scoring list.
Per ESPN statistics, in his NBA career, Anthony averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals per contest while making 44.7 percent from the field, 35.5 percent from beyond the arc and 81.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Naturally, for 'Cuse fans, what Melo did in his lone season on the Hill will forever be remembered as one of the most remarkable achievements ever by a Syracuse Orange student-athlete.
In the 2002-03 campaign, Anthony averaged 22 points and 10 boards per encounter. He played a massive role as Syracuse basketball went 30-5 overall and cut down the nets at the end of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, the program's first and only national title.
Melo's list of accolades during that beautiful stanza is too extensive to fully cover here, but he was the national freshman of the year, the Big East Conference freshman of the year and a consensus All-American, among other things.
And he saved his best for last, being named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 Final Four. Not too long ago, a top ESPN writer deemed Anthony to have the most impressive run EVER by a freshman in March Madness. Ever.
Even though the 'Cuse hasn't been its usual self in recent seasons, Syracuse basketball is still one of the winningest programs in the history of collegiate hoops. And over the years, and decades, a wonderful cadre of players (and coaches) has been involved with the 'Cuse.
Boeheim. Bing. DC. Pearl. GMac. Wallace. Moten. Warrick. Sherm. Thompson. Addison. Owens. Autry. Hart. Seikaly. Louie and Bouie. Hanson. Gabor. DuVal. I could go on and on and on.
However, despite him only playing one season for the Orange, no one, from my perspective, did more for this Syracuse basketball program - save for Jim Boeheim - than Carmelo Anthony.
He's now a Hall of Famer. Appropriately so. Congrats, Melo.