Carmelo Anthony’s illustrious career was honored on Saturday when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, he may not have reached the heights as a player without the support of two of the greatest NBA players of all time, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
Advertisement
The nature of the advice Jordan and Bryant gave was different but necessary in its own way. And, as Melo admitted, without them, he would not be where he is today.
In an interview with Anthony ahead of his induction, Rachel Nichols highlighted the GOATs who “repped out” for him, beginning with Jordan. Melo was the first player to receive the signature Jordan shoes, a clear sign of the confidence the Chicago Bulls legend had in him. But that confidence also came with some tough love.
Melo admitted that Jordan was often hard on him because of the potential the six-time champion recognized. “To have that backing, to have that support, it just meant a lot,” Anthony said, before reflecting on how many people had left his side. Jordan never did.
“He stayed with me; he had my back. Brand-wise, company-wise, I got him, he’s with us, and when you have that type of support, you want to try so hard to just change that for that person,” the New York Knicks icon added, hinting that he always wanted to repay MJ for the faith the legend showed in him.
The role Bryant played in Anthony’s life, meanwhile, was different. Mamba was not someone who would sugarcoat anything and would call Melo up and critique his game without any filter.
“He [Bryant] would watch games, and he would just call me after the game and say, ‘Why didn’t you shoot that?'” Anthony continued.
View this post on Instagram
“‘Why didn’t you shoot that? Why did you pass that? ‘What the f*** [are] you doing?’ That’s just him, you know what I mean… He didn’t even have to say much. It was just the fact that he was acknowledging, like, what you’re doing,” said Anthony.
Bryant, like Jordan, was one of the most influential figures in NBA history. So for Melo, it meant a lot that the Los Angeles Lakers legend cared. Without that advice and support, Melo may not have built the confidence to have the career he did and to become one of the best scorers in league history.
Anthony scored a total of 28,289 points in his career from 2003 to 2022, ranking 10th in the all-time leading scorers’ list. He retired as a 10-time All-Star, a former scoring champion, and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team. Indeed, a Hall of Fame career in every sense.
