Carmelo Anthony earned his induction into the Hall of Fame. Many times over.

This weekend, in Springfield, when Carmelo Anthony slips on the orange jacket and joins the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, he will have earned that spot. Many times over.

• He earned it by having arguably the best college freshman season ever, leading Syracuse to a national championship.

• He earned it by winning three Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball, setting 13 Olympic records along the way and being in the conversation for America’s greatest international player ever.

• He earned it by being one of the most prolific scorers the NBA has ever seen, the foundation of a legendary NBA career.

Starting this fall, you can all that wisdom come into play as Carmelo Anthony joins NBC’s broadcast team as the Association returns to NBC and Peacock.

‘Melo’s NBA Hall of Fame Case

That part about ‘Melo’s NBA Hall of Fame has gotten some odd pushback on social media, as if Anthony’s NBA career alone wouldn’t have made him a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Maybe that’s a seed that got planted with some of his former coaches — George Karl and Phil Jackson, specifically — calling out ‘Melo for dominating the ball too much or not playing enough defense during his career. Maybe there were fans who disliked Anthony’s ball-dominant style and the physicality of his play. Perhaps it’s because Anthony was the No. 3 pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, and some tried to hype up a “Magic vs. Bird” rivalry with LeBron James that never materialized on the court (and they remain close friends off it). Maybe it’s online trolls just doing what they do for attention. Whatever the reason, even Karl — the Nuggets coach who had a long-running feud with Anthony — is saying he is an unquestioned Hall of Fame.

Melo’s Hall of Fame enshrinement is well deserved this weekend.

Carmelo Anthony is one of the best scorers in basketball history and should be celebrated. I’m happy for him! pic.twitter.com/1fnbtXDIuX

— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) September 4, 2025

Look at Anthony’s NBA resume:

• 22.5 points and 6.2 rebounds a game across 19 NBA seasons
• Six-time All-NBA
• 10-time NBA All-Star
• 10th all-time in points scored (28,289)
• 2013 NBA scoring champion
• Member of NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team member
• Finished in the top 15 in MVP voting six times

All of that doesn’t even touch on him lifting up the Knicks organization in dark times, or the cultural impact he had on the league. The only knock can be “he didn’t win a ring,” but that’s not exclusion worthy. Winning a title takes more than just being a star player, it’s about being in the right organizations at the right time with the right teammates, and a little bit of luck. Maybe that didn’t all come together for Anthony, but it doesn’t diminish his NBA Career.

‘Melo in Olympics, at Syracuse

Nothing dispelled the “Carmelo is a ball hog” myth like watching Olympic ‘Melo.

Surrounded by elite teammates she could trust, Anthony became the ultimate team player — he definitely still could get a bucket, but he also played within the up-tempo system and got his teammates going as well. He found his groove.

The debate about the greatest USA Basketball men’s player ever on the Olympic stage is between Anthony and Kevin Durant. That’s it. Which alone could be Hall of Fame worthy.

Then there is college, where Anthony had arguably the greatest freshman season in the history of NCAA hoops, leading Syracuse to the national title.

In his one season with the Orange, Anthony averaged 22.2 points, 10 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game. He put up those numbers efficiently, despite defenses throwing everything they could at him.

Combine all that, and there can be no doubt. Some NBA fans forget this is the “Basketball Hall of Fame” — what happens internationally, what happens in college and high school matters, too.

However, even if this were an NBA-only Hall of Fame, Carmelo Anthony would be voted in on the first ballot. Without question. To suggest otherwise is just being a troll.