‘Melo would join an exclusive class in Syracuse men’s basketball history.
As expected Syracuse Orange men’s basketball icon Carmelo Anthony will indeed be cementing himself in basketball’s history books for good.
Carmelo Anthony, who starred in his lone season with the Orange and later churned out a career with the NBA which spanned almost two decades, has been notified he is being elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025. ESPN’s Shams Charania was the first to report.
‘Melo is being selected as a first-ballot Hall of Famer and now joins an exclusive group within Syracuse men’s basketball history. He becomes the fourth player from the program to make the Hall of Fame, joining Dave Bing, Jim Boeheim and Victor “Vic” Hanson.
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 cemented his basketball legacy right from the jump with Syracuse, guiding the Orange to its first ever NCAA men’s basketball championships in one of the best one-and-done seasons ever. Anthony finished his tenure with the Orange averaging 36.4 minutes, 22.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 35 games. He was also named second-team All-American and the NCAA’s Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
‘Melo would end up going third overall in what turned out to be one of the most superstar-heavy draft classes in league history.
Anthony went on to play 19 seasons in the NBA, most notably for 7.5 years with the Denver Nuggets and 6.5 years for the New York Knicks.
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Historically, Anthony’s career in the pros reached its apex at two different points. The first came in 2009, when the duo of ‘Melo and Chauncey Billups propelled Denver to a 54-28 record (most for the franchise since 1987-88) and just two wins away from the NBA Finals.
The other came right after Anthony’s tenure with the Nuggets concluded. A blockbuster deal sent ‘Melo to Madison Square Garden. Around two seasons after he was moved, Anthony in 2013 helped guide the Knicks to their first division title in decades and the team’s highest win total since 1997. In that year’s playoffs, New York came away with a series victory over the Boston Celtics, but fell short in six games to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. That would be the last time the Knicks made the playoffs for almost a decade.
Anthony’s prime also coincided with the other key aspect for his Hall of Fame resume: success in the Olympics. ‘Melo would end his time with Team USA by making the roster four times and being a part of three gold medal-winning teams in 2008, 2012 and 2016.
Anthony would end up on different teams (Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers) in four of his last five years.
‘Melo finished his NBA career with 10 All-Star nods, six All-NBA selections and a spot on the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
Anthony and the rest of the 2025 Hall of Fame class will be formally announced on Saturday during the Final Four.