Carmelo Anthony had a stellar run in his pro basketball career, although it would have been sweeter had he won an NBA title. Regardless, there is no question that the 6-foot-7 forward made his mark while becoming one of the greatest players of his generation.
However, the former Denver Nuggets superstar admitted on "The Why with Dwyane Wade" podcast that he never thought he would make it to the pro ranks.
"It was like the wiz…like the Wizard of Oz. It was like, 'It was impossible to make it,'" the 2013 NBA scoring champion said.
It was a struggle for Melo in high school
Anthony started to attract attention in high school when he played for Towson Catholic High School. He eventually became one of the notable players in the Baltimore area. But with the attention on him growing, it came to a point where Melo was suspended on several occasions for skipping classes.
With this struggle, the forward was hardly on scouts' radar, as some believed he still lacked the build and frame to make it to the pros. Aside from that, the 3rd overall pick of the 2003 NBA Draft also had to work on his academics.
His grades left much to be desired, falling under a C average. If Melo wanted to go to Syracuse, he had to double his efforts academically.
With much on his plate, the NBA was not initially in sight for the 2002 McDonald's All-American. He had to focus on his studies and play hard, leaving little to no room to consider a pro basketball career at the time.
"Get that dream out your head. Go be a cop. Go be a fireman. Man, them dreams is washed. They kill your dream even before you have a chance to dream. That's real," Anthony recalled the things he was being told at the time.
Don't stand in the way of dreaming youngsters
Although the teachers and scholars back then were trying to get students to focus on chasing realistic careers, Melo feels that this kills kids' aspirations and dreams. He stressed that anything is possible, adding that none of them would know for sure if a kid can ever make it big playing basketball.
"I understand why they say it now. But you still don't say it. Right is right. Wrong is wrong. You got to encourage kids," the former Syracuse Orange quipped.
Things eventually picked up for the retired NBA veteran when he moved to Oak Hill Academy. He admits that when he moved to Virginia, the pressure from family and friends he was dealing with back in Baltimore hardly bothered him.
And from there, most know how the rest went for the player who wrapped his career with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2022. In all, Anthony has won it all except for one prize – the Larry O'Brien title.
