About Melo
Carmelo Anthony #15
Position: Small Forward
Height: 6-8 Weight: 220 lbs.
Birthdate: 5/29/84 Birthplace: New York, NY
College: Syracuse 2003
Melo was born in New York City on May 29, 1984. After living in New York, Melo and his family settled in Baltimore when he was 8 years old. Anthony attended high school at basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in Virginia and was named a high school All-American. Coming out of high school, Melo was one of the most highly touted prospects. He would go on to live up to the hype during his brief stint at Syracuse University.
Despite staying only one year at Syracuse, Melo is considered by many to be one of the most memorable college basketball players in NCAA history. As a freshman, he averaged 22.2 points (16th in the nation, 4th in the Big East) and 10.0 rebounds in leading the Orangemen to their first ever NCAA Men’s Basketball championship in 2003. He led the team in scoring, rebounding, minutes played, field goals made and attempted and free throws made and attempted. Melo also earned the NCAA Tournament's Final Four MVP honors—his efforts included a 33 point explosion against Texas in the semi-final, and a solid 20 points and 10 rebounds in the final victory over the University of Kansas. Having already accomplished everything he set out to do in his collegiate career, Melo decided to declare for the 2003 NBA Draft where he was chosen 3rd by the Denver Nuggets.
In his first year as a pro, Melo averaged 21 points per game and led the Nuggets to one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history, transforming a previously uncompetitive team into a playoff contender. Melo’s talent and leadership did not go unnoticed as he was chosen as a member of the 2004 USA Olympic basketball team after just one NBA season.
Since his rookie Campaign, Melo has only gotten better, averaging over 20 points per game in his second year and 26.5 points per game (8th overall in scoring in the league) this past season. Besides being a scoring machine, Melo has acquired a reputation for being a tremendous performer in the clutch. During the time period from the beginning of the 2003-04 season to the end of the 2005-06 season, he hit 11 out of 17 game-winning shots, by far the most of any player in the NBA. Following the 2005-06 season, Melo was rewarded for carrying the Nuggets into the playoffs by being named to the All NBA Third Team.
In the summer of 2006, Melo was chosen as captain of Team USA. He has been a standout performer for the US team thus far, including breaking the US scoring record in a game with 35 points against Italy in the FIBA tournament earlier this summer.
Melo’s success on the court, along with his charismatic personality and contagious smile, has made him one of the most recognizable athletes off the hardwood. He has been featured on shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman and The Jimmy Kimmel Show as well as on the MTV hit series, Punk’d and MTV Cribs. Melo has also made a cameo appearance on singer Ciara’s music video for her hit song entitled “And I.� He is also the spokesman for several companies including Nike’s Air Jordan line of shoes and apparel.
Melo became engaged to hip-hop artist Alani Vasquez (La La Vasquez) on Christmas Day, 2004.