[ 3 8 ] M O O R E & M O O R E
C armelo Kyam Anthony, the youngest of four children, was born on May 29, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York. Anthony grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and had a difficult upbringing. His father, Carmelo Iriarte, died of liver disease when he was two years old. That left his mother, Mary, to care for the young boy and his three older siblings while working as a housekeeper to keep food on the table. While the world around the “Anthony” family was dangerous and druginfested neighborhood of Baltimore known as the Pharmacy, Mary kept her children on a short leash inside the house. Carmelo in particular was pushed to keep up with his schooling by her. Anthony’s passion for basketball would lead him to often being blinded by the sport and thus missing quite a bit of school, however this passion would help him to rise to become the one of the best high school basketball players in the country. Anthony started playing basketball at an early age, but it wasn’t until he was cut from his high school team as a freshman that he began to focus on his game seriously. Anthony had grown five inches and brought a level of brilliance to the court that made him
community outreach initiatives and gifts. He also worked as a representative for the Family Resource Center in Denver and helped plan a “Very Melo Christmas” party. Melo’s H.O.O.D. Movement 3 on 3 Challenge (Holding Our Own Destiny)” is an annual 3-on-3 event he hosts in Baltimore. And on December 14, 2006, he established ...
a local star by his sophomore season. Naturally, college coaches throughout the country took note, and Anthony had committed to play for Syracuse University by his junior year. However, Anthony transferred to Oak Hill Academy, a Virginia private boarding school with a tough disciplinary culture that has historically catered to future NBA stars, in order to meet the school’s academic criteria. Unlike other great high school players such as LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, Anthony didn’t believe he was ready to forgo college and enter the NBA right away. Instead, he stuck to his word and enrolled as a student at Syracuse in the fall of 2002. Anthony rapidly adjusted to the college game at Syracuse. In the spring of 2003, he led the Orangemen to their first national championship with an 81-78 upset triumph over the fancied University of Kansas. Anthony was selected the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, capping up a fantastic season for the rookie. Carmelo Anthony has always ensured that he has given back to a multitude of outreach initiatives and programs. In 2005, he founded the Carmelo Anthony Foundation to give back to the community through a range of
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