You know what has really befuddled me for the past week? That’s any challenge that Carmelo Anthony isn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Last week, Anthony was the first reported selection into this year’s Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame — which recognizes the basketball contributions of players within the totality of their careers. That means what helps players get into that hall are their accomplishments not only in the NBA but beyond. This includes college success, international play and the Olympics.
With the news of the 2025 Naismith Hall of Fame class dropping, pundits across sports media naturally began to weigh in. With Anthony being the headlining star of this class, he has seemed to get the most scrutiny with his selection. Conversations shifted from being congratulatory to that of goal post moving. For years, there’s been murmurings from fans, and media alike, that the NBA needs its own Hall of Fame. As the NFL has theirs, as does the MLB. They want the NBA to have its own hall that only recognizes one’s professional accomplishments.
Anthony’s selection seemed to have spurred a conversation
I cannot understand how there would be a question for Anthony’s hypothetical NBA Hall of Fame candidacy. Sure, in this contemporary era, we’re so lustful for championships defining one’s legacy. And sure, championships do punctuate one’s career. Hell, I think Dwight Howard’s 2020 NBA championship bookends his story beautifully. But it isn’t everything.
In that same vein, we have to give credit to the greatness that was ‘Melo.’
No, he didn’t win an NBA championship. But damn it, he’s a 10-time NBA All-Star. Anthony has even won a scoring title. Some even believe that he was truly the rookie of the year over LeBron James! But I think the most unequivocal of his accomplishments is the fact that he retired at number 10 in all-time points. James Harden now trails him by fewer than 1,000 points. He’ll probably pass him up next season. But any NBA player that has scored enough to have made it to the top 10 should be a shoo-in.
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Any debate about Anthony’s deserving of this moment or others is egregious. When we pan out from his NBA accomplishments, again, he is a no-brainer selection. Anthony won gold on three Olympic teams, and bronze on one. He’s an NCAA Tournament champion with Syracuse. The only NCAA champion in his draft class. We can’t just treat these accomplishments in cavalier fashion.
Although there are players in the hall who have accomplished more than him, he has also accomplished more than some in the hall. So, in a celebratory moment like this, let’s be sure to lift up his accomplishments. At this point, it’s truly all that matters. Let’s not be disingenuous to listeners by shallowly eliciting their response in no-brainer situations. Anthony is a deserving Hall of Famer, of any kind, and to me, that’s the headline.
