Celebrities and legends of the game always turn up at Madison Square Garden. One of the many reasons why the Mecca has one of the highest get-in prices for any games. Even in this playoff run, Ben Stiller, Spike Lee, and Timothée Chalamet have been pivotal figures courtside. Let’s not forget the legends like Walt Frazier, Stephon Marbury, JR Smith, among others, have shown up to support the former team. But Carmelo Anthony was absent from Game 5 at MSG, but his former teammate made sure to give him a shout-out on a special day.
Melo was previously courtside when Karl-Anthony Towns was busy carving his name into Knicks lore. It was game 1 of the series against the Pacers as the Big Bodega scored 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He was the first Knicks player to do that in a playoff game since Melo did it back in 2011. Fast forward to game 5, where KAT scored 24 points, Anthony was absent, but had a good reason.
The Knicks were cruising ahead with 90-73 on the scoreboard after the end of the third quarter. That’s when the Jumbotron first showcased some highlights from JR Smith, who was also present courtside. To make it more nostalgic for the fans, Smith wore #7 of Anthony instead of his #8 jersey to celebrate former teammate Melo’s birthday.
He did so by doing the iconic celebration of ‘three to the dome’. Melo was not present courtside, but Smith made sure to make his former teammate’s presence known. Kris Pursianien shared it on X. “JR Smith gets the OAKAAK jumbotron shoutout. He put ‘three to the dome’ and showed off his #7 Carmelo Anthony jersey. For those who didn’t know, it’s Carmelo’s birthday today. Team Swish came correct to rep his guy.”
JR Smith gets the OAKAAK jumbotron shoutout. He put ‘three to the dome’ and showed off his #7 Carmelo Anthony jersey. For those who didn’t know, it’s Carmelo’s birthday today. Team Swish came correct to rep his guy. pic.twitter.com/VUHtQvcgAA
— Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) May 30, 2025
In fact, Carmelo Anthony shared a story on his Instagram, thanking people for sharing their wishes. In a photo with him holding a glass of wine, presumably his own brand, the Knicks legend added the following caption: “Appreciate y’all for the birthday wishes. Grateful for another year.” To end the message, he added a prayer emoji and his signature line, “#STAYME70.” Celebrating his 41st birthday, the 2003 NCAA champion already had a gift ready at MSG.
Carmelo Anthony helps billionaire owner
The relationship of JR Smith and Melo on the court was short, yet impactful. The former even decided to join the latter’s team despite firm interest from Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Anthony explained the difference in his pitch that did the trick. “I was the only one that appreciated that style of his game, and I knew you can’t box a man.” The 10x All-Star recently revealed in his podcast.
Out of his 19 seasons in the league, Carmelo Anthony spent seven seasons in New York, becoming the face of the franchise. In his post-retirement role, he is also the face of multiple brands of his own, including the wine brand, VII(N) The Seventh Estate. The wine brand and the $4.77 billion Madison Square Garden, where James Dolan is the CEO, have partnered up as the billionaire owner is having a hard time financially.
As per the New York Post, MSG Networks is close to a deal with JPMorgan to reduce its $800 million debt to about $600 million to avoid bankruptcy. The restructuring would lower the fees MSGN pays for game rights, helping the network afford its payments. Since many viewers have switched away from cable now, it means that MSGN has been struggling financially. So, definitely the partnership with Melo comes at the right time. So, the fans can enjoy the brand curated by Melo. And the owner can have a little less worry about his financial troubles.
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