Carmelo Anthony Once Faced $3 Million Extortion for Punching Singer Sugar Ray Who Spat at His Girlfriend

Carmelo Anthony once had three men try extorting him for $3M over a tape allegedly containing a video evidence of him in a fight.

Carmelo Anthony broke into the NBA scene as a highly talented scorer in the 2003 draft. While Melo was hooping in his rookie season, however, drama followed him off the court.

Melo was involved in a tiff between his then-girlfriend La La Vasquez and her ex-boyfriend, Sugar Ray at a party at Club Babalu in Manhattan. Sugar Ray allegedly spat at Vasquez. How Melo responded to the same remains a story clouded by mystery.

Also read: “Call the motherf***ing foul!”: Draymond Green recalls an instance involving Carmelo Anthony and his legendary trash-talking

It was widely reported that a fight followed at the club. The Club’s general manager, Carmelo Anthony, and his agent came out and publicly stated that no fight ensued. Sugar Ray apologized and Melo and his entourage left the scene in their accounts of the incident.

However, three individuals allegedly claimed to have had video footage of Melo getting his hands on at Babalu. The trio even tried extorting money in return for the tape from Carmelo Anthony!

How did three youngsters try hustling Melo of $3 million?

Santos Jourbert, Jayson Padon, and Rodrigo Sanchez – the three individuals involved in the scheme threatened Melo that they would make the tape in their possession public. The trio attempted to get Melo to make drop off the money at Trump Towers.

In the process, the trio was nabbed by authorities. And it seems they made their appearance at Trump Towers without any tape.

So, was there ever a tape? Did Melo get into a fight with Sugar Ray following the literal “spat”?

Babalu staff and Melo’s entourage deny any such claim. Sugar Ray and the others present at the party have not come out with any statement relating to the same either.

With no tape produced by the con men, there remains no hint of evidence of a fight. So, for all means and purposes, there appears to have been no fight. At least, none that the world outside Babalu knows about.

On the court, however, there once was a fight involving Melo. And this time, video evidence was aplenty.

When did Melo get into a fight on an NBA court?

Carmelo Anthony spent a considerable part of his career in Denver before moving allegiances to New York. However, before his move to New York, was the famous brawl between the Nuggets and the Knicks.

The fight involved multiple players and 7 suspensions were issued by the league. Melo was given a 15-game suspension, the highest issued against a player involved.

Melo punched the Knicks’ Mardy Collins after a brawl broke out following a hard foul. The brawl broke out on live television for everyone to see and was quite the spectacle.

Known for “staying Melo”, this was the most notable instance of Carmelo Anthony losing his cool. Knicks fans seem to have forgotten the brawl easily, however, given the fanfare with which Melo was accepted at the MSG.

Also read: Carmelo Anthony illegally lost $2 million and took the financial matter to court