Carmelo Anthony has reportedly landed a new gig as an NBA studio analyst with NBC’s NBA coverage. Anthony, 40, played 19 seasons in the NBA as a power forward and small forward before announcing his retirement on May 22, 2023. Anthony’s NBA resume justifies how he’s one of the greatest players and scorers in NBA history, despite never winning an NBA championship. He had 10 NBA All-Star selections, two All-NBA Second Team honors, and four All-NBA Third Team honors. Here’s what you need to know.
Carmelo Anthony’s New Gig
Carmelo Anthony, a former third overall pick in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft, is widely known as a New York Knicks legend. Anthony played for the Knicks from 2011-2017. Anthony was also known for his high-profile marriage with Alani “La La” Vasquez, a reality television personality and actress. The couple was married from 2010-2021 with one son, Kiyan Anthony, a Shooting Guard for the Long Island Lutheran Crusaders.
Anthony is another former NBA star who entered the professional basketball broadcasting industry. He recently signed an undisclosed deal with NBC for its NBA coverage. Although he might not have as much swagger as his ex-wife, NBC will reportedly try to use his personality to propel him as one of its “top studio analysts.” He hasn’t shown off his broadcasting skills on a big stage before, but anything could happen and he could succeed.
Why NBC Signed Anthony
NBC reportedly signed Carmelo Anthony because of his “naturally smooth” personality. Anthony played 19 NBA seasons and accumulated one NCAA championship and three Olympic gold medals before and during his journey to professional basketball stardom. Anthony’s potential insight and stories could attract the general public. Plus NBC hasn’t filled its NBA studio roster yet so Anthony could be a short-term experiment.
Since there’s a lack of a full roster for its NBA studio roster, there have been inevitable rumors of NBC’s current NFL and NCAA football host, Maria Taylor, as a potential lead host and moderator for its NBA studio show. Taylor, 37, previously worked at ESPN, with whom she hosted “NBA Countdown” before leaving the company after an unknown colleague allegedly made racist remarks towards her.
NBA Fans’ Reactions
NBA fans’ reactions to Carmelo Anthony’s new gig with NBC’s NBA coverage were mixed, to put it mildly. One user posted on X, formerly Twitter, “NBC lineup is trash. Carmelo Anthony is not even articulate or talk without cursing. Smh.” Another user posted on X, “YESSSSSSSSS great hire. He’s so good on his podcast. We need more Melo talking hoops!”
Whether or not the NBA world agrees with NBC’s hiring of Anthony, everybody could agree that NBC made a bold hire for Anthony’s services. If Anthony could provide a combination of charm, humor, and an adequate amount of X’s and O’s, he could achieve success in a studio-format show. After all, Anthony’s 412 games played for the Knicks, also known as one of the NBA’s most storied franchises, should come with plenty of great stories.
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