ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that former Blazer Carmelo Anthony has been informed that he has been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, citing sources. A 10-time NBA All-Star and voted All-NBA six times, Anthony averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.75 assists over an NBA career that saw him play for six different teams. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets third behind LeBron James and Darko Milicic in 2003, and went on play in the Mile High City for over seven years. He was traded to the New York Knicks in 2011 in a block-buster trade that also included Blazers current head coach Chauncey Billups and former Blazer Raymond Felton. Denver fans largely remember the trade for the 2016 pick swap as part of compensation from the Anthony trade that they turned into Jamal Murray. Anthony would later play for Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers.
After playing only 10 games for the Houston Rockets in the 2018-2019 season, Anthony was traded to the Chicago Bulls in January of 2019. The Bulls however had no intention of playing him, and Anthony was waived after Chicago could not find a trade partner. Anthony was unable to find a team until the Blazers signed him to a free agent contract in November of 2019. Anthony played 127 games for the Blazers over two seasons, averaging 14.3 points in 28.3 minutes per game. Anthony will become the eighth player who took the court for the Blazers to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame.
Anthony finished his career without any NBA titles, but he did win an NCAA championship in his only season with Syracuse, while being voted Most Outstanding Player. He also had tremendous Olympic success for the United States, winning a bronze medal in 2004, and gold medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
Anthony will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in September.