Carmelo Anthony has spent his adulthood at the top of the NBA. He was drafted in 2003 after leading Syracuse University to an NCAA championship win his freshman year. Since then, the ten-time NBA all-star has worked his way onto the league’s list of all-time scorers.
But after nearly two decades in the NBA, Anthony wants to be known as more than a basketball player. He’s an active philanthropist, podcaster, and tech investor. He’s also launched a fashion label and production company.
BERLIN, GERMANY – JANUARY 22: Steam and exhaust rise from the smokestack of a natural-gas powered power plant on January 22, 2019 in Berlin, Germany. Germany is seeking to reduce its CO2 emissions in accordance with the Paris climate agreement. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
“I’m blessed to say that basketball has got me to a point, it laid down the groundwork and the foundation to allow me to do these other things,” he told us.“But that’s not who I am. That’s my job, that’s not who I am.”
Anthony’s latest project is a new memoir, “Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised.” It recounts his childhood growing up in the housing projects in Brooklyn and the Murphy Homes in West Baltimore. Anthony experienced poverty, violence, and tragedy, like the murder of his cousin, Luck. But he also experienced community and support from coaches, family, and neighbors.
We talk to Anthony about his childhood, basketball, his passion for social justice and philanthropy, and his legacy.
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