Carmelo Anthony rose to fame after leading the Syracuse Orangemen to an NCAA championship in 2003. The journey after that wasn’t easy, but Melo continued to carve out his place in the NBA. Today, he’s a devoted father to his son, giving him the same love and support he once received from his mother and family. Looking back at his NBA debut, Melo discovered a deeper meaning when he learned more about his late father and his heritage.
The 6-foot-7 forward has always spoken highly of his mother, who worked multiple jobs to help and support the family. Melo was just eight when the family moved to Baltimore. He had four siblings, Michelle, Wilford, Daphne, and Robert Anthony. Michelle, who was 12 years older than him, tragically passed away in 2010. Speaking of his father, Melo, who is the youngest, said that he doesn’t remember much. However, he remembers the poems his father wrote. He has held on to his father’s book.
“[My dad] wrote poetry. I have a book full of poems that he wrote. The book is too heavy to carry around, so I leave it in my office, but I always try to go back and read them,” he said as per ESPN.
At one point in his career, he decided to explore his origin and learn more about his father’s background. Is he African American? Yes, but he’s also part Puerto Rican, as his father was from Puerto Rico. While he had visited the place a few times, the trip he remembers most was one that he took during his teenage years.
“I knew my dad was Puerto Rican but I didn’t know how deep it goes. Honestly, that was a moment of like, I have to go figure this out. I gotta start asking questions because now this void of not having a dad is like damn I’m about to make it to the NBA, I wish he was here…you start having all of these moments, I’m doing it for him,” Melo said on The Why podcast.
NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Big East Conference Tournament First Round – Villanova vs Georgetown Mar 8, 2023 New York, NY, USA New York Knicks former player Carmelo Anthony sits courtside during the second half between the Villanova Wildcats and the Georgetown Hoyas at Madison Square Garden. New York Madison Square Garden NY USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xBradxPennerx 20230308_bjp_ae5_087
The Knicks legend proudly honored his heritage with a Puerto Rican flag tattoo on his right hand. During the Olympics, he had the freedom to choose between Puerto Rico and the USA. He decided to play in the 2004 Olympics for Puerto Rico. However, things didn’t turn as he had hoped and he ended up playing for Team USA as several players opted out. That year, Team USA lost to Puerto Rico.
During the podcast, Melo shared more details about his trip to Puerto Rico and his father.
Carmelo Anthony dug deep to find more details about his father
During that trip in 2002, Melo knew he had to reconnect with his roots, and that journey would begin with learning more about his father. He spoke with his father’s friends and close relatives, as he recalled during a conversation on The Why podcast.
As he delved deeper and spoke to more people, he discovered that his father had once been a member of the Young Lords. As per sources, the Young Lords were part of the Young Lords Organization (YLO). This was a human rights group based in Chicago during the 1960s.
Motivated to learn more, Melo also explored various websites and online sources to uncover more information about the group, motivated by his urge to know more about his father. He realized that his roots and connection to Puerto Rico were much deeper than he had initially thought.
“As I started to discover, I realized my dad was a Young Lord. Young Lords are basically the Puerto Rican version of Black Panthers. It’s the version of the Black Panther depending on who you actually ask…So I started digging deeper into what is a Young Lord. Oh, he looks fly. So you start going now I can use the internet. Now I start pulling up pictures and researching and like wow that’s where I get it from,” Melo said on the podcast.
Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the chance to learn much as a child, the New York Knicks legend was just two years old when his father passed away from cancer. The former NBA player has always reflected on how discovering more about his father helped fill a void in his heart. He is proud of his origin and it is reflected in his tattoo!
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