Carmelo Anthony's Greatest Games, Memes & Funny Moments

Carmelo Anthony says a ‘burden’ is lifted after Basketball Hall of Fame election

I've heard and seen some ridiculous things in the past 24 hours.

I watched Jokic put up a 60-point triple-double and then listened to Marcus Morris on FIRST TAKE say, "I look at Nikola Jokic's resume right now, and that's not a top 20 player of all time to me." All I'll say is Google "Jokic and Morris brothers."

Then you have Stephen A. Smith talking about some "Hall of Famer" telling him Steph Curry would not average more than 17 points a game in his era. All I'll say is that every era discussion is pointless, tiresome, and harmful for the league, and that Hall of Famer is delusional.

Mike Greenberg on GET UP asked if OKC is having the greatest NBA season ever. All I'll say is I'm a fan of Scottie Pippen's shirt that says, "Don't mean a thing without the ring."

But THE MOST RIDICULOUS thing I have heard over the past 24 hours is that some people actually had an issue with Carmelo Anthony being a first-ballot Hall of Famer because he doesn't have a ring. Even George Karl, the President of the Melo Haters Fan Club, had the following to say after the announcement:

"It’s darn cool to see Melo enter Springfield as a first-ballot Hall of Famer! I like to think I played a part in his Hall of Fame journey, during his best pro years in Denver. It would be fun to reconnect before his enshrinement. But if not, he can roast me at the Podium!"

I have a lot to say about this one.

The first thing is to remind people that it's the Basketball Hall of Fame, not the NBA Hall of Fame. Let's do a quick basketball checklist:

• High school: He was the best player in his class.
• College: He's arguably the greatest College freshman ever & won an NCAA title.
• NBA: He's one of the greatest scorers in league history and a member of the NBA 75 team.
• Olympics: Team USA Melo has three gold medals and 13 records.

If you don't think that's the resume of a first-ballot Hall of Famer, then all I can do is quote Melo getting a rebound: "F**k outta here!"

In an honor of Melo, I will share 20 of my favorite performances, stories, quotes, videos, and tweets from Jesus' "Blood Brother."

MTV CRIBS

Carmelo Anthony, Ying Yang Twins & Ryan Pinkston | MTV Cribs

If you were around in the early to mid-2000s to witness young Melo, then you also remember the phenomenon of MTV CRIBS during this time. Melo showed off his 3-bedroom crib during a 2005 episode featuring an absolutely hilarious tour from the Ying Yang Twins ("HANH!").

Here are a few things Melo showed off:

• ESPY Award for Best Male College Athlete
• House of the Dead 2 arcade machine
• Bathtub while explaining why males shouldn't take baths
• A closet full of retro jerseys
• 1964 Lincoln Continental
• A big artwork poster called Blood Brothers that shows him and Jesus standing in a puddle of blood. I would pay an unwise amount of money for this.

BEATING BRON IN HIGH SCHOOL

Lebron James vs. Carmelo Anthony in High School - Oak Hill vs. SVSM: Feb. 10, 2002

On February 10th, 2002, the best players from the Class of 2002 (Melo) and 2003 (LeBron) faced off in front of a crowd of 11,000 fans and on national television.

James, wearing a pair of adidas Kobe 2s (that were too small for his feet) that was gifted to him by Kobe, put up the better all-around stats but Melo was more effecient and got the win.

Oak Hill Academy 72 - St. Vincent-St. Mary 66

• BRON: 36 points (12/27 FG), 8 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists
• MELO: 34 points (14/25 FG), 11 rebounds, 2 assists

Melo talked about meeting and hanging out with Bron the night before the game:

"We clicked from that moment. We just felt like we were from similar backgrounds, single-parent homes, broken families, and growing up in the hood. So we connected for that, before basketball. I was looking for some type of relationship like that with somebody, and he was looking for that as well. We came into each other’s life at the right time. We were both looking for that brotherhood."

BEST ONE AND DONE OF ALL TIME?

Carmelo Anthony highlights: Top March Madness plays

Every time there's a great college freshman, you will hear the question: Who was the best college freshman ever? I heard it when KD was in college. Then it was AD. We then heard it with Zion. Now we are hearing it with Cooper Flagg. The one name that stays consistent in these conversations is Carmelo Anthony. This is why:

• Averaged 22.2 points, 10 rebounds, 1.6 steals
• Broke or tied 15 school records
• 30-5 overall record
• 33 points (12/19 FG) and 14 rebounds in a Final Four game
• Most Outstanding Player Of The NCAA Tournament
• NCAA Championship (22 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists)

Did you know Melo didn't want to leave after his freshman year?

Melo: "I was actually enjoying myself up there at Syracuse I didn’t want to leave. And then [Jim] Boheim brought me into his office and kind of kicked me out."

THE MICHAEL JORDAN COMMERCIAL

Student Commercial | Carmelo Anthony Video | Jordan Become Legendary

I am not Michael Jordan.
I am Carmelo Anthony, his student.

Melo was so great in college that Michael Jordan wanted the 19-year-old to represent his brand.

Melo on UNINTERRUPTED's WRTS: After Party

"I was the first signature athlete of Jordan Brand. There wasn't a plan at that point in time. LeBron was at Nike, and MJ stepped up and said, 'Look, I'll pay half. Nike pay half. I'll take Melo, y'all got LeBron, Converse got Wade and Bosh. The first sneaker I ever played with in Jordans was 16.5st. I remember playing in my first game as a rookie in preseason, and the sneaker came off as I was playing. I was like, you know what, I'm not playing in another retro again. Let's work on this signature shoe, and that's how everything started."

Jordan Brand released 13 signature shoes between 2003 and 2017.

THE MOST DIFFICULT PLAYER TO GUARD

Why Paul Pierce said he’d rather guard Kobe or LeBron over Melo 👀 #carmeloanthony #melo

Paul Pierce once wrote about The Five Toughest Players I've Ever Guarded for the Players' Tribune. He named Kobe, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, and LeBron James for his first four. And this is what he had to say about his fifth pick:

"If I had to single one guy out who is the most difficult player to guard in the league, it would have to be Carmelo. He’s a unique blend of being big, strong, and athletic while also having a world-class shooting touch and a natural ability to get to the rim. That’s what sets him apart — every facet of his game is elite.

Some great players will have one or two particular skills that make them special. But Carmelo can do everything, which puts you in a baaad situation as a defender. A lot of guys might shoot better from certain areas, so you try to force them elsewhere on the floor. Carmelo doesn’t have a spot on the floor where he can’t consistently hit shots.

In my opinion, his combination of physicality and shooting touch is unmatched in the NBA. You can’t take one second off when you’re matched up against him."

The Truth also once had this great quote about Melo:

"You gonna be hurting after the game. Other cats gonna finesse they 30. He gonna make you feel this 30."

Their best match-up was in 2012 when the Knicks beat the Celtics 118-110 behind Melo's second career triple-double: 35 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists. Pierce had a game-high 43 points on 19 shots.

Raymond Felton on Carmelo Anthony's scoring ability: "I don't know nobody who's better. I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm talking about Tracy McGrady, MJ, Kobe, LeBron, all these guys. The way he used to score at every level. I don't know who's better. Post-up, got footwork, midrange is impeccable, shoot the 3, athletic can dunk on you, get to the basket, handles like a point guard."

FIRST PERSON TO BUST KD'S ASS

Kevin Durant Remembers ‘FIRST’ NBA Game Against Carmelo Anthony!

One of the many players who would agree with the Truth about Melo's physical game is Kevin Durant. During an appearance on THE KNUCKLEHEADS PODCAST, KD was asked who was the first person to bust his ass? His answer was Melo:

"He was just physical. He would duck you in the paint and hit you with the shoulder. Then he'd take you out. Jab, jab, pull over top of you. He would have me thinking too much on defense. We had a back-to-back that night. I got on the plane confused."

Melo welcomed KD to the league by outscoring him 32-18. KD only scored 16 and 23 in his next two games against Melo, and it wasn't until his fourth career game against the Nuggets All-Star that he had a big scoring night: 37! But Melo had 38.

One trivial Melo and KD moment worth mentioning is the first time I ever heard Melo's trademark "I got it, f*** outta here!" is when he grabbed a rebound from KD during a Team USA scrimmage in 2016.

MELO DID WHAT TO NIGERIA!?

Carmelo Anthony - 37 Points in 14 Minutes with Nigeria

KD and Melo are also arguably the two greatest USA Men's players in Olympic history. As mentioned earlier, Melo has won three gold medals (1 bronze, which we will ignore), set 13 Olympic records, and his 336 Olympic points are third all-time, behind LeBron (358) and Durant (518).

He also has two of the top three scoring performances ever.

• 37: Melo vs Nigeria (2012)
• 36: Steph Curry vs Serbia (2024)
• 31: Melo vs Australia (2016)
• 31: Starbury vs Spain (2004)

The craziest thing about his 37-point performance is it only took him 14 MINUTES...OFF THE BENCH! He knocked down 13-of-16 shots (10-of-12 from three) and even dished out one assist in the 156-73 win.

“Every time I touched the ball, it’s kinda hard to explain,” Anthony said. “If you’ve never done it, you would never know what I’m talking about it. I was in a zone.”

BONUS USA VIDEOS

• Melo's reaction to Kyrie and Jimmy Butler singing A THOUSAND MILES
• Melo's reaction to Steph's threes against France
• Melo's Team USA Mixtape

THE HISTORIC 33-POINT QUARTER

Carmelo Anthony Full Highlights 2008.12.10 vs Timberwolves - 45 Pts, OLD NBA Record 33 Pts in 3rd!

Melo was in the zone four years earlier when he tied George Gervin's 30-year-old NBA record of 33 points in a single quarter.

Down by 12 at the half, Melo scored 26 straight points and outscored the Timberwolves 33-22 in the third quarter.

“I’ve seen some good quarters,” Teammate Billups said to the Denver Post. “That was the best I’ve ever seen.”

He finished the game with a season-high 45 points (16/29 FG), 11 rebounds, and four steals in the win.

Kevin Love (34 in 2016) and Klay Thompson (37 in 2015) would break Melo and the Iceman's record later.

THE BANANA BOAT PHOTO

Carmelo Anthony | Ep 100 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

The funniest thing about the "Banana Boat Team" is they have their own Wikipedia page. And on that page are photos of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony.

The funniest thing about Melo being part of this "team" is he wasn't even in the 2015 viral photo of Bron, CP3, Wade, and his wife, Gabrielle Union, riding the big yellow banana.

Melo on All The Smoke:
"I wasn't on that f*****g banana boat man, you know what I'm saying? We went on the vacation man, a little brotherhood vacation. I came late to the vacation. So as I'm going to the yacht, I see them on the banana boat. So I was looking at them like, 'What the f**k are they doing?' I'd never get on no s**t like that. Then I wake up and next day there's a picture, THE BANANA BOAT CREW. I wasn't even on that though, I went past that s**t."

Melo and the Banana Boat crew did get to take some more flattering photos over the years, including at the 2016 ESPY Awards to discuss social issues and the NBA 75 celebration in 2022.

THE PUMP FAKE MEME

Carmelo Anthony fools eveyone with a shot attempt and throws ball to ref

The Banana Boat crew also reunited at Dwyane Wade's final NBA game. Melo said he initially didn't want to go to the game because of the drama he just went through with the Houston Rockets. Since the game was in Brooklyn and the rest of the Boat crew was going, he decided to go.

With a little less than seven minutes left in regulation, the ball bounced right to him. He caught it and as he was about to throw it to the ref, the crowd started yelling, "Shoot it, Melo!" He then gave a pump fake that belongs in the Twitter and Meme Hall of Fame.

Melo on 7PM in Brooklyn:

"It was his night. Just so happens the ball came over to me. I'm like, 'The game still loves me.' The ball found me. If I would have missed it. People would have been like, 'That's why Houston got rid of this bum a** n****. Old n****.'"

ONE OF THE FIRST GREAT NBA TWEETS

Carmelo Anthony destroys mean fan on Twitter/X 👀 #shorts #nba #podcast

Another moment that belongs in the Twitter Hall of Fame happened on December 31st, 2013. This is back when it wasn't that common to see an NBA great respond to a casual fan the way KD does on a daily basis.

Melo tweeted, "Happy New Years Eve!" and promoted his new M10s.

A Twitter user named Shams George responded, "How about you win a ring? You f***** kill me man rooting for you all the f***** time and you always disappoint me."

Melo shockingly and hilariously replied, "I didn't ask for your glazed donut face a** to root for me anyway!!!!"

One of the replies to the tweet said, "That's what I like to see! NBA players talking s**t and saying what the f**k they wonna say lol."

That reply was from...

THE COMEDY GENIUS ITSREAL85

CARMELO DON'T PASS: Welcome to NY D.Rose (NBA 2K16 SKIT)

The NBA UNCENSORED TRASH TALK and DISRESPECTFUL MOMENTS video by YouTuber/comedy genius ItsReal85 remain the funniest basketball content I've ever seen.

My personal favorite video of his is the 2016 CARMELO DON'T PASS video. The 2K skit features Melo, Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Steph Curry, and Kristaps Porzingis playing LeBron and the Cavs. Some of the funniest moments:

• Kobe tells Melo to pass the ball, and he responds, "Kobe, I know you ain't talking."
• Derrick Rose tells Melo that he will be open on the wing, and Melo says, "OK, what you telling me for?"
• Melo yelling at Rose, "Stop calling my name, you're throwing me off."
• Melo tells LeBron, "You do it for the land; I do it for the check in my hand."

ItsReal85 also made a funny short called "Carmelo Anthony refuses to pass the salt."

62 ON THE BOBCATS

Carmelo Anthony's 62 Point Night! Watch Every Made Field Goal!

It's not that Melo refuses to pass the ball, but he's so hot on some nights that it doesn't make sense for him to pass the ball.

On January 25th of 2014, the Bobcats were in town, and everyone was looking to score a career-high in points against them. Melo started the game by making 20 of his first 26 shots. He finished the game with not only a career-high but a franchise and MSG high: 62 POINTS! The most impressive thing is he could have scored more but checked out after breaking Kobe's MSG record of 61 with seven minutes remaining in the blowout win.

Final Stats: 62 points (23/35 FG), 13 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 steals, 0 blocks in 39 minutes.

LeBron was so impressed that he tweeted, "Congrats to my brother on setting a franchise record tonight. #RocketLauncherFromBirth"

He must have also felt inspired because he scored a career-high 61 on the Bobcats less than two months later.

50 ON THE HEATLES

When Carmelo Anthony Felt Disrespected And Put 50 Points On Miami Heat | April 2, 2013

LeBron had a great seat to Melo's previous career-high of 50, which came against his Heatles team the year before. Since he and Wade were injured, they had to watch Melo torture Shane Battier for those 50 points...on just jumpers.

The always amusing Battier had this to say after the game: "It's an inopportune time to announce my candidacy for defensive player of the year. Carmelo had a hell of a game."

Melo made 18-of-26 shots and 7-of-10 from downtown. None of those 26 attempts were within 15 feet of the basket.

"I felt good tonight," Anthony said after the win. "I think just from the start of the game, it's a feeling that you just have while you're out there on the court. Sometimes you get off to a good start and then you get cold the rest of the game, but tonight wasn't one of those cases."

Just to keep the "doesn't pass" joke running, Melo's first assist came in the final second of the third quarter.

"READY TO RISK IT ALL FOR RIHANNA"

Carmelo Anthony Finally Explains Viral Rihanna Meme 😂😂

A third entry in the Twitter and Meme Hall of Fame is the infamous 2014 photo of Melo wearing a bow tie and top hat while looking at Rihanna. The most popular tweet of the photo had the hilarious caption: "Melo was ready to risk it all for Rihanna."

Melo explaining the moment on 7PM in Brooklyn:

“It was after the Met. I think the afterparty was at Darby or Up & Down. We’re already in there, having a good time. Every time a celebrity comes in, the cameras go crazy with flashes. It’s small in that area. So you see all the flashes. It’s a commotion when you walk in there. I finally walk in there, get through the cameras, and sit down. I found my comfort zone, sitting down, trying to be low. Rihanna walks in, cameras go crazy. There’s only one area to go to and I’m like, ‘Please don’t come over here.’ I put my head down and I look up. And she's right there posing and the cameras are going."

Here are my other two other favorite Rihanna/NBA moments:

• No. 2 is actor Ethan Hawke switching seats with his son so he can talk to Rihanna. He shared a photo of the moment and said, "I'm hoping my son can find it in his heart to forgive a Dad for taking this moment."
• No. 1 is Jeff Van Gundy getting more excited about her walking past him than LeBron dunking on JaVale McGee in the NBA Finals.

THE GAME WINNERS

Carmelo Anthony: All Game Winners & Clutch Shots

Very few players have more career game-winners than Melo's 13. And if you look at go-ahead shots that gave a team the lead in the final 24 seconds, no player in the last 25 years has more than Melo.

• Carmelo Anthony: 30
• Kobe Bryant: 29
• LeBron James: 26
• Joe Johnson: 23
• Damian Lillard: 23

CARMELO PLAYS DEAD

Carmelo Anthony unconscious on floor while game Continues

This bizarre moment was so hilarious that I helped produce a Podcast about it.

Melo collapsed to the ground after bumping into 215-pound Kevin Durant and lay there for over two minutes while J.R. Smith and his other Denver teammates continued to play. Melo eventually got up, went to the locker room, and was asked by one of the team trainers to say the months backward. Melo responded: "I can't do that regularly."

You can check out the deep dive with Zach Harper (TALK HOOPS) on the FIRST BALLOT HALL OF FAME PODCAST

NBA LIVE 05 COVER ATHLETE

NBA Live 2005 (PS2/Xbox/GC/PC) (2004) Video Game US Ad/Commercial (1)

Also worth mentioning about his time in Denver is he got to be the cover athlete for one of the greatest NBA games ever: NBA LIVE 05!

The 2005 edition is mainly known for the All-Star Dunk Contest, freestyle control, and a decent soundtrack featuring The D.O.C, Lloyd Banks, Pete Rock, and MC Lyte.

This was Melo's second year in a row being on the cover of an EA video game. Before Live, he was the cover athlete for NCAA MARCH MADNESS 2004.

As for NBA 2K, the game was known as ESPN 2K5, and NOBODY preferred 2K over LIVE back then. As for Melo's 2K ratings in his early years:

• 2K5: 87 OVR
• 2K6: 86 OVR
• 2K7: 87 OVR
• 2K8: 94 OVR
• 2K9: 94 OVR
• 2K10: 88 OVR
• 2K11: 93 OVR
• 2K12: 90 OVR

HOODIE MELO

Hoodie Melo Ultimate Compilation

Remember the Hoodie Melo phenomenon in 2017? The viral videos of Melo scoring at will during Chris Brickley's runs?

Melo: "It started with a beanie. I was just in the gym and didn't have a haircut. From there, it went to a hoodie, got out, and then the phenomenon started. For me it was about showing a different focus that I have. A different motivation. Just locking into what I have to do. I didn't know what was going to happen. There was just so much going on around me, I wanted to find a way I could just focus and that's where Hoodie Melo was created.

JR SMITH: "Hoodie Melo doesn’t play with a conscience. Regular Melo has a guard up; both are great, but I like hoodie Melo."

BEYONCE on the song BLACK EFFECT: "Mobbin’ in a hoodie like Melo. Come up out that pretty motherf****r like, 'Hello, Hello.'"

The Knicks ended up trading Hoodie Melo to the Thunder, where he teamed up with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook and Paul George for a season. He was also reunited with Thunder assistant GM Troy Weaver, who recruited Melo to Syracuse.

F OUTTA HERE REBOUNDS

Carmelo Anthony Rebound Swearing Compilation

You would think a player known for yelling, "I got it, f**k outta here!" while grabbing a rebound would be one of the best rebounders in the league. Melo averaged just 5.5 rebounds once he started yelling the catchphrase. That might be a good thing. Adam Silver would probably be calling Melo if the occurrences doubled.

The catchphrase ranks right below Rasheed Wallace's "Ball Don't Lie!" as the best player catchphrase ever.

THE JAB STEP

Carmelo Anthony Jab Step Compilation

The first move I think of when I think about Melo is the jab step. It's a signature move that is not mentioned enough when discussing the best signature moves ever.

Paul George on Melo's jab step: "It was crazy. He could get his shot off like this. I added that to my game. That quick jab. And he'll put that bounce and then step back. You could not guard it. It was unguardable. So that's why you could never give him space because you are going to play on your heels. The fastest first step I've ever seen. For a guy that size, He had the quickest first step. So you had to play tight defense on Melo. You had to try to force him to play with his back to you. If you let him face you up, it's over."

FATHER MELO

Melo Teaches His Son How To Jab

I still remember seeing this almost decade-old video of Melo teaching his son the jab step and thinking how cool it would be if his son became a decent player.

Well, Kiyan Anthony has become an exceptional high school player that Ballislife has been following for years. Not only does he have his Dad's jab step, but his entire offensive game has flashes of his father's game. He's so confident in his game that he thinks he was even better than his Dad at a certain age.

During an interview, Kiyan said he would fry his Dad at age 16 in 1v1 because "he wasn't nice until he was 17."

Melo's hilarious response: "The f*** is wrong with this generation."

I would love to see Melo and Kiyan, who will be going to Syracuse, remake that Jordan commercial from above. Instead of Melo reading all of Michael Jordan's accomplishments, it would be Kiyan reading his Dad's accomplishments. At the end, Kiyan would say:

I am not Carmelo Anthony.
I am Kiyan Anthony, his student.

Kiyan Anthony "Day In The Life" | Son of Carmelo & La La Anthony Is Ready To Pave His Own Wave!

Kiyan Anthony goes INSANE & Drop 40 Pts In Front Of Melo! | Peach Jam Day 3 Recap!