Carmelo Anthony is one of the most gifted scorers to ever grace an NBA court, but the 10-time All-Star revealed that he didn’t originally see himself getting this far in basketball, never mind putting together a Hall of Fame-worthy career. When Monica McNutt questioned if Melo had the Hall of Fame on his “vision board”, the 40-year-old explained why he didn’t think of it as a possibility.
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“Nah because it’s like, nah that’s the Hall of Fame. People like us don’t make that type of s**t,” Anthony said on his show, 7 PM in Brooklyn, “That’s not even something I thought about.” Melo continued to explain how he didn’t even think he would make the NBA so the possibility of making the Hall of Fame didn’t cross his mind for a while.
Spending the majority of his childhood in Baltimore, Maryland during its most notorious period of drug-infestation, it wasn’t an easy area for Melo to break himself out of. His rough upbringing could be why he doesn’t take anything for granted or get too far ahead of himself. Anthony said “We don’t have Hall of Famers where I’m from,” so he didn’t begin to view that as a possibility for himself until he stamped his name on basketball history.
Once he started to find his footing as a star in the NBA, the Hall of Fame became a goal for Anthony. But Melo insisted that this doesn’t go through most players’ minds when they first turn professional.
Melo did everything to make the Hall once he realized he was capable
It was never a priority for Melo early in his career, as he tried to find his footing and a role for himself. But his attention did eventually shift to the Hall of Fame. It wasn’t until the 19-year veteran settled in as a dominant first option in his prime that Anthony realized what he was capable of. Once Anthony had this epiphany, he turned up the burners in his quest to a Hall of Fame berth.
Melo has always been an electrifying three-level scorer. But MVP chants filled the prime of the legend’s career, both with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. The forward’s scoring title in 2012-13 and singular first-place MVP vote to keep LeBron James from winning the reward unanimously are two standout accomplishments in his career.
Only retired from the league for three seasons now, Carmelo might have to wait at least a couple more years to hear his name nominated. However, when the time does come, the former NCAA National Champion will have his place in the Hall, first ballot or not.
