Since it's now open season on Carmelo Anthony for those who don't like him, and since David Stern and his cronies have given him 5 times the penalty that anyone else ever got from a single punch, I think it's time to post some real truth about him. Fortunately for Melo, he came in to the NBA young and he is still young. He will be 23 next May. So even if this year is shot, he will be back next year and he will be a superstar, whether Stern likes it or not. The first post in this series is from the orangehoops.org and describes Melo's short but perfect college career: "Carmelo Anthony put together the finest single freshman season in Syracuse basketball history, as the small forward led the Orangemen to their first NCAA tournament National Championship in 2003. 'Melo' played with a constant smile and a low key personality that allowed him to be a fan and teammate favorite. The consummate player, he could handle every facet of the game and do it well, always played within himself, and was the ultimate team player improving all those around him. Anthony came to Syracuse has a highly recruited player, and made an immediate impact scoring 27+ points in his first three games. There were times early in the season he struggled to get the team flow working, where it was apparent his teammates were waiting for him to make all the big plays. However, as the season progressed, Anthony's team player skills became apparent, and the team started to gel as a cohesive unit. Anthony scored 30 points against Georgetown in March, and in what would be his last home court appearance, another 30 points against Rutgers. In the NCAA tournament, Anthony was solid in the first four rounds, though heroics were required from several Orangemen for the team to advance. In the Final Four however, he raised his game to another level. Against Texas, Anthony lead all scorers with a career high 33 points, giving the Orangemen a 95-84 victory. In the NCAA Finals, Anthony played a strong first half, both scoring and rebounding. Kansas would focus on him in the second half, reducing his scoring effort, but he contributed by pulling down more rebounds and providing several key assists. The Orangemen would win the National Championship and Anthony would be the tournament's MVP. In his only year at Syracuse, Melo would lead Orangemen in scoring and rebounding, was on the Big East first team, Big East Rookie of the Year, and was a first team All-American. Despite cheers of the fans for "one more year", "Melo" declared himself eligible for the NBA draft after his freshman year. He was the 3rd pick in the draft, selected by the Denver Nuggets, and improved that team from the worst team in the league to a playoff team in his first season." So to Melo, standing up for a teammate who is in trouble is an extension of his being "the ultimate team player," which, in turn, is his way to produce a winning team. I do believe he's right. MELO AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY IN UPSTATE NEW YORK
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">DENVER (AP) -- Carmelo Anthony won't appeal his 15-game suspension for his role in the New York Knicks brawl last weekend, according to USA Today and ESPN.com reports. "It is Melo's desire to focus on the issue at hand, not be a distraction to his team and focus on coming back as the best teammate he can be," Bill Duffy, CEO of BDA Sports, the agency that represents Anthony, told USA Today in Thursday's editions. "He's accepting full responsibility. That's a mature response." </div> Unless Duffy made this up, this is another clue about how Anthony is an ultimate team player. Players worrying first about themselves would definitely appeal, since an arbitrator is available for suspensions of more than 12 games, and since it is virtually certain the suspension would be reduced to 10 or 12 games from 15. So the last 3 to 5 games of the suspension will be "for the team" because Melo believes that the arbitration hassle and media blitz would be too much of a distraction for the Nuggets, costing them a couple of games or more. He wants everyone to concentrate on basketball and forget about him and the brawl.
Sorry but accepting full responsibility is being a man and being honest about what he did, not a team player.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting termaine:</div><div class="quote_post">Since it's now open season on Carmelo Anthony for those who don't like him, and since David Stern and his cronies have given him 5 times the penalty that anyone else ever got from a single punch, I think it's time to post some real truth about him. </div> Ron Artest got banned for a whole season. The situation in New York could have esculated into something similar to the Pistons-Pacers brawl. Carmelo got off lightly with a 15 game suspension(around a month).
Melo is not only the ultimate team player for the Nuggets, but also in other respects as well: By Chris Tomasson, Rocky Mountain News December 15, 2006 BALTIMORE ? As a youngster, Carmelo Anthony cherished the hours he spent at a local recreation center. Then what happened? "They took my rec center away when I was 13," Anthony said, recalling the closure of the Robert C. Marshall Center when he was growing up in Baltimore. Anthony remembered having nowhere to go for a time during his teenage years. So he had 1.5 million reasons to do what he has for his hometown. That's how many dollars the Nuggets forward has committed for the next five years to fund The Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center near downtown Baltimore. Anthony was on hand Thursday for the grand opening. Politicians read speeches. A ribbon was cut. More than 100 kids sat on a gym floor looking on in admiration. A few hundred adults looked on from the bleachers or were standing. Anthony was presented a gift that soon will adorn his wall at home, a large painting youngsters did of him cradling the ball for a dunk, and youngsters read notes of thanks. "It touched my heart to see these kids, that they really appreciate me," Anthony said. "I appreciate them more than they appreciate me. . . . I was wishing that I had somebody coming back for me (when Anthony grew up). We didn't have no role models." It had been a goal of Anthony's to open a recreation center since about the time he helped Syracuse University to the NCAA title in 2002-03. The original plan was to build from scratch, but that would have taken the rest of the decade. Instead, Anthony got wind early this year of a Boys and Girls Club closing. The Carmelo Anthony Foundation stepped up with funding and the center opened three months ago. The grand opening was Thursday because of Anthony's availability between games Wednesday in Washington and tonight in Boston. Assisting with the project is Baltimore's Living Classrooms Foundation. President James Bond said Anthony is providing about 80 percent of the funding for the building during the next five years with his organization raising money for the rest. "Melo sees this as his legacy," said Anthony's Maryland-based lawyer, Richard B. Schreibstein. "He doesn't forget where he came from." Among the several local politicians on hand was Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md. Two years ago, Cummings was critical of Anthony after his cameo appearance in the DVD Stop Snitching, which encouraged revenge by drug dealers upon police informants. Anthony, who said he did not know the content of the DVD, met with Cummings and they talked about what he could do for the community. "He made a commitment to me back then that he would come back and do some meaningful things in the city," said Cummings, who said Anthony is a rare Baltimore sports star who has come back to help the city. "This means a whole lot." While Anthony's vision for the center had started earlier, he said he's glad this shows he has "worked it out" with Cummings after "people said we can't get along." Anthony said it was special to have his mother, Mary, on hand. She looked on proudly as her son delivered a speech. "This makes me feel so good," she said. "Words can't express how I feel." Schreibstein and Anthony's agent, Calvin Andrews, said a similar center eventually could open in Denver. Andrews said the first order of business, though, might be to open one in West Baltimore, where Anthony grew up. Anthony's center caters to about 200 youth daily, ranging in age from 5 to 18. There are after-school programs and there is Team Melo, Anthony's AAU team for 10- to 13-year-olds. "It's a dream come true," said Anthony Brown, 11, who wore a "Team Melo" T-shirt as he waited to meet his hero. Anthony lamented having a shortage of heroes while growing up. He also had a shortage of recreation centers.
I've always wondered why Baltimore does not have an NBA team. Anyhow, here is the report on the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center out of Baltimore. Originally published Dec 15, 2006 By David Steele One afternoon last January, Jennifer Williams got an unwelcome call at her job at a downtown state office building. Her two sons, Aaron and Derrick Allen, were in the rental office at the Pleasant View Gardens city housing complex, instead of at the nearby Boys and Girls Club on East Fayette Street, their usual after-school destination. The club had run out of money during Christmas break, she was told, and had closed. She left work, picked up her boys and brought them to work with her. She did that at the end of every day for the rest of the school year. It was better than the alternative, but the kids weren't quite as entertained at their mother's office as at the Boys and Girls Club. "It was boring," said Aaron, 9. He's not bored anymore. The club reopened yesterday under new management, showing off the redecorated gym with the murals on the walls and Nike logos on the court, as well as the computer lab, the dance studio, the rooms for arts and crafts and music lessons and study halls, to name just a few of the amenities. For the benefactor who put up the money and guided the revival of the center - now the Carmelo Anthony Youth Development Center - Williams said, "I have no words to say but 'thank you.'" The donor was similarly tongue-tied. Part of that was because he was worn out - he had played the second of back-to-back games the night before, a loss in Washington by his Denver Nuggets, and was due to rejoin his teammates in Boston for the first of two more back-to-back games tonight. But he wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. One reason - and the big reason the project was so important to him - was that he went through exactly what the youngsters had, when he was a teenager. "They took my rec center from me," he told the crowd in the gym. "I had nowhere to go." "Someone just said it was closed, and it was gone, for three years. That's what I had in mind," he recalled later, as he handed out bags of presents for the youngsters lined up on the court, doing more gift-giving than Santa Claus, who was standing nearby. As for a savior - the kind he was being yesterday - "we didn't have anybody," he said. It is not an exaggeration to say that Anthony is the club's savior. When the Boys and Girls Club shut down last December and was left empty for nearly a year - for much of that time with the sign still up over the door, practically taunting its former patrons - the city, community and the Living Classrooms Foundation scuffled along looking for resources to reopen it. It would take a financial commitment by someone or a group of contributors for a minimum of three years, organizers said. At the same time, Anthony was trying to fulfill the promise he had made to himself as a rookie to build a rec center, ideally in his West Baltimore neighborhood. But it appeared that building one from the ground up would take three to five years, escalating funds and endless bureaucratic red tape. "We were looking for each other," said Valencia Warnock, director of the Boys and Girls Club when it closed and now director of the new center. Warnock was the one who made the fateful calls to the parents last year. Anthony and his charitable foundation saw the chance to get a rec center started right away, and the decision to kick in $1.5 million - about 90 percent of the needed funding for five years, not just the requested three - was easy. He then got Nike involved - he is one of the featured endorsers of Brand Jordan, whose logos adorn the court - and the result was the resurrected beauty on display yesterday. It had everybody, from the once-displaced kids spread all over the gym floor, to the lineup of local dignitaries, gushing over him. "It's easy to make it and go away and forget," said Bernard "Jack" Young, who represents the city council district in which the center is located. "You should be clapping for him. He didn't have to do this." In Anthony's mind, though, he did have to do it, and he believed that long before most of the country had concluded that his image, created during one disruptive summer two years ago when he was 20, needed some sort of reconstruction. He still has plans to expand his "HOOD (Holding Our Own Destiny) Movement" basketball tournament and festival to other cities in the near future, and he still is involved with Johns Hopkins Hospital officials and their anti-gun violence initiatives. He is drawing others to him to help him get his plans off the ground. He also still hopes other athletes from the area join him. "I think somebody might step up," he said. "But right now, not yet." He was still passing out goodie bags, the lines got longer and longer, and time to fly to Boston was approaching. "I'm tired," he said. "But I'm having fun, I'll tell you that."
<div class="quote_poster">WildHundreds113 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">When is JR coming back?</div> Next Wednesday Jan. 10 versus the Spurs.
When this season was just underway, Melo made one of the largest donations an athlete ever made: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Anthony Presents Donation for Syracuse Basketball Practice Facility Nuggets forward starred for Syracuse University during the 2002-03 season SYRACUSE, NY -- Nov. 7 -- Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, who helped lead Syracuse to the 2003 NCAA Men?s Basketball Championship, has presented the University with the lead gift for the construction of a newly planned basketball practice facility. Anthony, the captain of the NBA?s Denver Nuggets, has committed $3 million toward the building. "We are so appreciative of Carmelo?s enormously generous gift to support SU?s new planned basketball practice facility," says Syracuse University Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. "The building would be a state-of-the-art practice and training facility for our student-athletes and benefit them and our athletic programs for years to come." "Carmelo's commitment to the Orange basketball program shows extraordinary character and respect for his experience at Syracuse," says Director of Athletics Dr. Daryl Gross. "To make this kind of contribution takes a special person, someone with passion and selflessness. It is very obvious why Carmelo Anthony is so successful on and off the court. "The vision we have for Syracuse athletics is to make an impact on the world and to be extraordinary! Carmelo has given us all a true example of how one can make a meaningful difference. On behalf of the Syracuse athletics department and the entire Syracuse nation, thank you Carmelo Anthony." Anthony?s gift represents one of the largest individual donations to Syracuse University Athletics and is also believed to be one of largest by a current professional athlete to the school they attended. The gift is the starting point in the fundraising plans for the multi-million dollar structure. The facility, which is still in the planning phase, would be located within the Lampe Athletic Complex on the University campus. The planned facility would house two practice courts, locker rooms and office facilities for the men?s and women?s basketball programs at Syracuse. Anthony?s one season with the Orange turned out to be the high point of the program?s history, culminating in the NCAA Championship. He led Syracuse to a 30-5 overall record. He was named second team all-America by the Associated Press and was a consensus pick for national freshman of the year. He was a unanimous selection for BIG EAST Conference Freshman of the Year and was first-team all-league as well. Anthony was BIG EAST Conference Rookie of the Week a record 10 times during the course of the campaign. He averaged 22.2 points (16th in NCAA Division I, 4th in Big East) and 10.0 rebounds (19th in NCAA Division I, 3rd in Big East). Anthony posted 22 double-doubles and led the Orange in scoring in 24 of 35 games. He led the team in scoring, rebounding, minutes played (36.4 mpg), field goals made and attempted and free throws made and attempted. Anthony was second on the club to fellow freshman Gerry McNamara in assists (2.2 apg) and steals (1.57 spg) and in three-pointers made and attempted. The first-round draft choice and third overall pick of the Denver Nuggets in 2003, Anthony is now in his fourth season as a starter with the club. He was named NBA Rookie of the Month six times during the 2003-04 campaign and earned MVP honors at the 2004 NBA Rookie Challenge. He is a veteran of USA Basketball international competition. This past summer he helped the USA Senior Men?s National Team to the bronze medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Anthony was named to the all-tournament team at the event. The USA Basketball coaching staff included Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim, who was reunited with Anthony on the court for the first time since the 2003 NCAA Championship. Anthony also played on the USA squad that won a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics. In 2002, he played for the bronze medal-winning USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team. Anthony was on the East Team that won the silver medal in the 2001 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival. Anthony has been very active in the Denver community and in his native Baltimore, Md., during his time with the Nuggets. He hosts a summer basketball camp, Camp Melo, in Lakewood, Colo., for boys and girls ages 7-to-18. He also hosts an annual 3-on-3 basketball tournament, Melo?s H.O.O.D. (Holding Our Own Destiny) Movement 3-on-3 Challenge in Baltimore. The Challenge is for boys and girls ages 7-to-15. Anthony is a major contributor to the Family Resource Centers of Colorado. The Carmelo Anthony Foundation was founded in 2005 to invest in programs, leaders and community organizations that empower and provide opportunities for underserved kids and families. The Foundation aims to provide educational and recreational opportunities for kids and families in Carmelo?s home communities, sponsor special projects and events and donate monies to worthy and needy causes. Syracuse University was officially chartered in 1870 as a private, coeducational institution of higher education. Its mission is to promote learning through teaching, research, scholarship, creative accomplishment and service. </div> Source
I love Melo. He's my fav. from '03 draft, and my fav. younger player. Those old Syracuse pictures make him look REALLY young. He looks much older now.
Here is another example of Carmelo Anthony's total dedication to his sport and his team. In this case his team is the USA National Basketball Team. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Carmelo Anthony Honored As USA Basketballs 2006 Male Athlete Of The Year Nuggets forward is now eligible for 2006 U.S. Olympic Committee Award COLORADO SPRINGS, Jan. 16 -- The Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony, who helped lead the 2006 USA Men's Senior National Team to a 13-1 overall mark and a bronze medal and an 8-1 record at the 2006 FIBA World Championship, was selected the 2006 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, USA Basketball today announced. "I'm very honored to receive this award," Anthony said. "I want to thank Mr. Colangelo and Coach K and his staff for giving me the opportunity to play for this team. I worked extremely hard over the summer to prepare because I take great pride in playing for my country. I also want to thank my teammates. They're a great group of guys and we had a lot of fun playing together. I look forward to continuing to work hard for USA Basketball and helping us get that gold medal in '08." The USA's leading scorer at the 2006 FIBA World Championship averaging 19.9 ppg., Anthony was the lone American named to the five-man 2006 FIBA World Championship All-Tournament Team. "The USA Basketball Executive Committee identified a well-deserving athlete for this award," said USA Basketball Executive Director Jim Tooley. "Carmelo was a team tri-captain and the USA's leading scorer. His outstanding performance at the World Championship was a major factor in the team's 8-1 record and bronze medal finish. All of us at USA Basketball are proud of the leadership he provided for the team and the way in which he represented his country." Selected by the USA Basketball Executive Committee as the recipient of its Male Athlete of the Year award, USA Basketball also submitted Anthony for the U.S. Olympic Committee's 2006 Male Athlete of the Year award, which will be announced by the USOC in January 2007. "Carmelo was on a mission to make our team and he did much more than that, he led our team. He had a terrific summer with the USA team and demonstrated his overall basketball talents and his leadership. In my mind he is deserving and a great choice for this award," stated USA Senior National Team Managing Director Jerry Colangelo. "Carmelo was the ultimate team player," offered USA Senior Men's National Team head coach Mike Krzyzewski. "He had an outstanding summer, starting with our training camp in Las Vegas and ending with being a dominant player in the FIBA World Championship. He was a man after victories and showed how classy and mature he was in our one defeat. I love the way he plays the game, but I love the way he carries himself as a leader on the Senior National Team even better. He is very deserving of this award. With Carmelo, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James as the core of our National Team over the next two years, we have a lot to look forward to in USA Basketball." Anthony, a tri-captain of the USA World Championship Team, averaged 19.9 ppg., 3.7 rpg., 1.9 spg. and 1.4 apg. He shot 50.4 percent from the field and 44.0 percent from 3-point, and his 179 points scored and 19.9 ppg. rank as the second most by a USA player in World Championship history, trailing only Luther Burden's 182 points and 20.2 ppg. average in 1974. Among all 2006 World Championship participants, Anthony ranked sixth in scoring, ninth in 3-point field goals made (22) and tied for ninth in steals (1.9 spg.). Anthony, the team's high scorer in five World Championship contests, opened preliminary group play with 21 points as the USA team earned a 111-100 victory over Puerto Rico, and in a hard-fought 94-85 victory over Italy, Anthony scored a USA World Championship record 35 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field. Advancing to the eighth-finals and faced with a win-or-go-home scenario, Anthony helped the USA claim its sixth straight win with an impressive 20-point outing against Australia. Moving on to the quarterfinals, Anthony tallied 19 points as the U.S. squad recorded a win over Germany. Next meeting an undefeated Greek team in semifinals play, the USA gold medal hopes ended when, despite a 27-point effort from Anthony, Greece posted a 101-95 victory over the Americans. Prior to the 2006 FIBA World Championship, the USA cruised to 5-0 in its series of exhibition games, with Anthony averaging a team-leading 16.8 ppg. on 56.4 percent shooting from the field. Anthony led the USA scoring in three of the team's five exhibition games. In the USA's 114-69 win over Puerto Rico in Las Vegas, Nev., Anthony tallied 18 points, he scored 16 points in a 90-86 win over Brazil in Guangzhou, China, and 19 points as the USA topped Lithuania 111-88 in Seoul, South Korea. Teammates of Anthony on the 2006-08 USA Senior National Team are: Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Houston Rockets); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Charlotte Bobcats); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); J.J. Redick (Orlando Magic); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); Amar Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat). The 2006-08 Men's Senior National Team and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski was assisted by Jim Boeheim of Syracuse University, Mike D'Antoni of the Phoenix Suns and Nate McMillan of the Portland Trail Blazers. Named a member of the 2006 All-NBA third team, Anthony helped lead the 2005-06 Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference Northwest Divisional title, a 44-38 regular season record and the 2006 NBA Playoffs. He averaged a career-best 26.5 ppg., 4.9 rpg., 2.7 apg. and 1.1 spg., while shooting career bests of 48.1 percent from the field and 80.8 percent from the foul line. Anthony finished the season ranked eighth overall in NBA scoring, fourth in field goals made, fifth in field goals attempted, seventh in free throws made and attempted and 19th in total efficiency points. Anthony previously helped the USA capture bronze at the 2004 Olympics, playing in seven of the USA's nine games, averaging 2.4 ppg. As a member of the 2004 Senior National Team, Anthony averaged a team third-best 10.1 ppg., 2.8 rpg. and 2.0 apg. as the U.S. squad compiled a 5-1 record. In 2002, Anthony was a member of the USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Team that finished with a 4-1 record and a bronze medal in Isla de Margarita, Venezuela. Starting all five games, he averaged a team-leading 15.6 ppg., a team second-best 6.2 rpg. and 1.8 apg. while shooting 54.1 percent from the field. Anthony tallied 23 points in a win over Argentina, 21 points and seven rebounds in a win over Mexico and 13 points and 10 boards in a loss to Venezuala. Anthony also participated in the 2001 USA Basketball Men's Youth Development Festival for the silver medalist East Team and averaged a team-high 24.0 ppg., tying with LeBron James for the Festival's best scoring average. Shooting a Festival best 66.1 percent (39-of-59 FGs) from the field, Anthony also collected 4.3 rpg. In capturing the 2005 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year honor, Anthony enters into the impressive company of previous honorees. In its 27th year, the USA Basketball Athlete of the Year award has been garnered by notable athletes such as Shelden Williams (2005); Sean May (2004 co-recipient); Chris Paul (2004 co-recipient); Tim Duncan (2003); Reggie Miller (2002); Chris Duhon (2001); Alonzo Mourning (2000 and 1990); Gary Payton (1999); Elton Brand (1998); Earl Boykins (1997); Scottie Pippen (1996 and as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team); Ray Allen (1995); Shaquille O'Neal (1994); Michael Finley (1993); Christian Laettner (1991); Larry Johnson (1989); Dan Marjerle (1988); David Robinson (1986 and as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team); Chuck Person (1985); Michael Jordan (1984 co-recipient, 1983 and as a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team), Sam Perkins (1984 co-recipient); Glenn Rivers (1982); Kevin Boyle (1981); and Isiah Thomas (1980). </div> Source
I'm sorry, but your threads always make me laugh. The amount of sheer homer in ALL of your posts is mind boggling, frankly I even literally laughed out loud when I saw the sheer volume of homerism in this thread. No offense, of course; you're entitled to your opinion. It doesn't bother me in the slightest, I just find it rather funny.
This is part one of a 4 part video detailing how someone who grew up in low income neighborhoods in New York City and Baltimore became one of the best basketball players in the NBA. Additional parts will be posted every 4 or 5 days or so. Young b-ballers living in tough hoods might be able to pick up some inspiration and some tactics from this. Melo: How He Went From a Tough Hood to Basketball Greatness, Part 1
Here is part 3: Note: There is a small chance that the video will not play on the first attempt, in which case try it again. Melo: How He Went From a Tough Hood to Basketball Greatness, Part 3
Yes, there are poor folks in Denver, not everyone has enough money to go on expensive ski vacations. Sports millionaires are in a position to help out, and Carmelo Anthony has always been willing to spend money AND time to help out. Anthony is an important spokesman for Family Resource Centers of Colorado. Melo is a team player for Denver as a whole, not just for the Nuggets. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">"I came from an area where I saw poverty and hardship, and family resource centers make a big impact helping people in those situations," remarked Carmelo Anthony at a fall 2003 press conference announcing his selection of Family Resource Centers (FRC) as his community charity partner. Anthony, now playing his second season with the Denver Nuggets, after being selected as the third overall NBA draft pick in 2003. In 2003, Anthony led Syracuse University to its first NCAA championship in men's basketball and was named MVP of the 2003 NCAA Final Four, as well as named to USA Today's First Team All-America. Carmelo and his three siblings were raised in Baltimore by their mother, Mary. It wasn't always easy for the family. Carmelo, the young man with the winning smile and huge talent on the court, credits Mary's love and determination with helping him to achieve his dream of becoming a collegiate and NBA competitor. Carmelo has become an integral part of FRC's fundraising efforts, as well as working to raise public awareness about how family resource centers provide crucial support to Colorado families. "I partner with family resource centers because I can relate to the people they help, and their goals are very similar to mine. I am very blessed to be paid to do what I love to do - play basketball. Now I have the opportunity to help others less fortunate than me." Carmelo has been the honored guest at two ?Very Melo Christmas? parties hosted by Denver area family resource centers. At each party, Carmelo has brought gift bags to over 100 kids. At the 2004 party, Carmelo presented Family Resource Centers with a check of $30,000, representing his own personal contribution and the proceeds from sales of his Melo candy bar. Mary Anthony is now a member of the Board of Directors of Family Resource Centers. Additionally, Carmelo?s fianc?, LaLa Vasquez, has expressed interest in helping out with his favorite community endeavor. </div> Source
Back in January, Carmelo Anthony and Yakhouba Diawara were chosen by the Nuggets organization to visit the children at Fairview Elementary School, part of the Denver Public Schools. The school has been adopted by the Nuggets organization in a partnership program, which means the school will be assisted in various ways from time to time in the future. I guess folks in Denver don't subscribe to any of the negative and unproven theories about Melo because if they did, they sure as heck would not have picked him to visit an elementary school for practically a whole day. The minor altercation in New York City, even though it had happened just one month earlier, did not prevent the Nuggets from sending Melo to the school and the kids by all accounts were very happy that the basketball player they are most aware of came to their school. Melo has become an ultimate team player for the Nuggets organization as a whole, just as he has cut back on his scoring on the court in accordance with the wishes of his Coach. Recently, Melo has helped in the difficult task of unifying the Nuggets to the extent possible, just before the playoffs. Melo & Diawara at Fairview Elementary School. YAKHOUBA DIAWARA AND THE STUDENTS AT FAIRVIEW ELEMENTARY CARMELO ANTHONY AND THE STUDENTS AT FARIVIEW ELEMENTARY
