Drafted 3rd overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets, Carmelo Anthony has surely made a name for himself in the league. As he showed the world during his championship season at Syracuse University, “Melo” continues to prove to his fans, teammates and coaches that he is a hard worker, a leader and a competitor.. The 2008 Beijing Olympics proved to be the perfect display of his passion, maturity and excellence for the sport – and winning the Gold Medal has been the ultimate token of redemption, success and global recognition for the NBA All-Star and two-time Olympian.
Born May 29, 1984 in the Red Hook Projects of Brooklyn, New York, Melo established the nickname “Little New York” upon moving to Baltimore at the age of eight. Over the coming years, he began to show the people of Baltimore the type of basketball skills they hadn’t seen since another prototypical small forward (and one of Melo’s boyhood idols) Bernard King was suiting up for the nearby Washington Bullets. Basketball would take Melo from Towson Catholic High School to Oak Hill Academy and ultimately to an NCAA National Championship as a freshman on Syracuse University’s 2003 Men’s Basketball Team.
Since arriving in the NBA, Melo has not only been one of the top scorers in the league, he has also diversified himself as a player, a person, a businessman and a philanthropist. He has been a member of the exclusive and coveted Team Jordan and annually releases a top-selling signature sneaker. In addition, Melo has cultivated brand partnerships with Powerade, Topps and EA Sports. Most importantly, Melo has excelled off the court through his philanthropic efforts. He established The Carmelo Anthony Foundation (CAF) in 2005 as the vehicle for which he and his family would give back to the community through a variety of outreach programs and donations. In 2006, The Giving Back Fund, the premier philanthropic resource for the sports and entertainment communities, ranked Carmelo in their top ten of the “Giving Back 30” report surrounding celebrity philanthropists in America. He was the only basketball player on this list, and was joined in the top tier by celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey and Tiger Woods.
In Baltimore, Melo established The Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center and annually hosts his H.O.O.D (Holding Our Own Destiny) Movement 3-on-3 Basketball Challenge for children. In Denver, he celebrates the holidays with children and families by hosting “A Very Melo Christmas” each year. Committed to those communities that have shaped his life, Melo has donated $3 million towards the construction of a The Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center at his alma mater of Syracuse and participates in other fundraising initiatives.
In July 2008, he was honored as Basketball Player of the Year at the 1st Annual Univision Premios Deportes, an awards show celebrating the best of Hispanic athletes. Melo proudly accepted the award in appreciation of his Puerto Rican father, Carmelo Sr., who passed away when he Melo was just two years old. In June 2003, Melo was awarded with an ESPY Award for Best Male College Athlete.
Melo and his fiancée, LaLa Vazquez, have a son together Kiyan Carmelo Anthony (born March 2007). Kiyan joined a loving family consisting of Melo’s mother, Miss Mary, his sister, Michelle, and two brothers, Wilford and Justice.