For many seasoned fans of the game, “Melo” is strictly associated with former NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony. But according to the Knicks legend, young baller LaMelo Ball is more than worthy to inherit the name for himself.
“You ain’t gotta worry about that name,” said Anthony on Ball. “You got it. I’m supportive of you.”
Over 19 years in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony was able to cement himself as one of the best scorers in the game. For the Knicks, he averaged 24.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game on 45% shooting. While he was never able to bring a championship to New York, Carmelo was their lone star for many years and he provided endless entertainment for fans at Madison Square Garden.
Through the 2000s and 2010s, Anthony was universally recognized as “Melo” and he embraced his role with the Knicks as the face of New York basketball. But after being traded to the Thunder in the summer of 2017, Anthony’s career fell off hard and he’s mostly fallen out of the public eye.
Recently, while the “Melo” nickname has made a comeback, it’s under new ownership now. Since being drafted in 2020, LaMelo Ball has adopted the “Melo” name as a part of his brand and most fans expected Anthony to count it as disrespect. Instead, the Knicks star showed support for the young guard and has given him the full green light to take the name for himself.
After Shaquille O’Neal trashed Dwight Howard for using his “Superman” nickname years ago, fans are happy to see Carmelo being supportive of the next generation of ballers and it’s the kind of trait that many fans want to see more of from the league’s retired legends. Unfortunately, as much as the “Melo” tag suits the Hornets youngster, he has yet to earn that level of notoriety.
Can LaMelo Live Up To The Hype?
While Carmelo Anthony is not in the running for being the GOAT, his career as a 10x All-Star, 6x All-NBA player, and former scoring leader put him on the map as one of the league’s most notorious basketball stars. Being in New York helped grow his brand to amazing lengths and enhanced his legacy as a sports icon for one of America’s biggest markets.
And while LaMelo is no scrub, he has yet to prove he can sustain a career like Anthony’s. In three years so far, Ball is averaging 23.9 points, 8.0 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game on 43% shooting. At 22 years old, LaMelo has still got plenty of time in his basketball career but an extensive injury history is enough to cast doubt on his durability going forward and some believe the Hornets are better off trading him altogether.
To date, Ball has only had one season where he played at least at least 55 games or more. Over the past two seasons, he’s played a combined 58 games, with just 22 of them being during the 2023-24 campaign. So before LaMelo can think about nicknames or any other kind of personal marketing boost, he’ll have to get healthy and give people a reason to even mention his name.
With all the skill and talent you’d want in a franchise guard, LaMelo certainly has a chance to become something special and Carmelo Anthony is rooting for him all the way.
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