On Wednesday, Carmelo Anthony got the call that every basketball player dreams of and longs for.
Anthony has been informed that he has been elected for enshrinement to the Basketball Hall of Fame, according to ESPN. Anthony was one of the 17 finalists announced by the Hall in February. The full class of 2025 will be announced on Saturday at the Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, but Anthony’s induction has gotten out 72 hours ahead of time.
Anthony was perhaps the most heralded candidate for 2025 induction. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft out of Syracuse University, Anthony starred for most of his career as a member of the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, but eventually became a journeyman, playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers as well. He made 10 All-Star Teams and six All-NBA teams while winning the scoring title in 2013. In 2020, Anthony was named to the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Basketball Hall of Fame honors achievement both in and outside of the NBA, and Anthony’s first-ballot case was sealed before he stepped foot on an NBA court. Anthony is perhaps the most famous one-and-done player in college basketball history, leading Jim Boeheim and the Syracuse Orange to its only national championship in 2003 over the Kansas Jayhawks. He is also one of the most successful Olympians in basketball history, winning gold medals for Team USA in 2008, 2012 and 2016. He is also the second leading scorer in Men’s Olympic Basketball history, only behind Kevin Durant.
“For me, that’s it. There’s nothing else in basketball I can do,” Anthony said on his podcast after learning about his nomination.
“That’s the pinnacle, that’s the door. When you think about Hall of Famers who are already in there and the way they opened up the door for you, that’s a special moment. I’m going to embrace this. I’m enjoying this.”
LeBron James, Anthony’s longtime friend, former teammate and fellow member of the 2003 NBA Draft class, congratulated Melo after the news broke.
While Anthony will be the headliner of his class, there are plenty of other notable names up for enshrinement. Among NBA players, the other star likely to be chosen is Dwight Howard, the 2020 champion with the Lakers and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Billy Donovan and Mark Few are candidates on the coaching side, while Sue Bird and Maya Moore, both out of UConn, headline a strong group of women’s players that could potentially be chosen.
In addition, Anthony has a chance to be selected twice in the same year. His 2008 Olympic roster known as the “Redeem Team” is also a finalist for induction and would join the 1960 and 1992 Olympic Men’s teams as Hall of Fame selections. We know that Anthony has been chosen on his own, and now, we wait for Saturday to find out if his Olympic teammates will join him.
