Carmelo Anthony Elected to Basketball Hall of Fame on First Ballot

The 2000s icon is headed to Springfield.

Carmelo Anthony watches Olympic 3x3 basketball in 2024. / Michael Madrid-Imagn Images

The long, well-traveled basketball career of forward Carmelo Anthony appears set to end in immortality.

Anthony will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on the first ballot, according to a Wednesday morning report from Shams Charania of ESPN. The 40-year-old cultural icon of the 2000s retired from the game in 2022.

Spurning the prep-to-pro path in vogue at the time, Anthony played for Syracuse in 2003. He authored one of the best freshman seasons in college basketball history, carrying the Orange to what remains their sole NCAA men's tournament title.

The Denver Nuggets drafted Anthony third overall in '03. He spent eight productive years with the Nuggets before a trade to the New York Knicks, with whom he registered his only scoring title in 2013.

First ballot: Carmelo Anthony has been notified that he's been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025, sources tell ESPN. Anthony made 10 All-Star appearances and six All-NBA teams in 19 seasons to go along with three Olympic gold medals for Team USA. pic.twitter.com/b079xHPqZB

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 2, 2025

Anthony's Knicks tenure ended in 2017, and he spent the final five years of his career bouncing between a few Western Conference contenders. He notably enjoyed a solid season as the Portland Trail Blazers' sixth man in 2021, garnering down-ballot Sixth Man of the Year votes.

All told, Anthony finished his career with 10 All-Star appearances to his name. He was also a phenomenal international player, winning three Olympic gold medals—a figure tied for second among American men's basketball players.

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