Carmelo Anthony was born May 29, 1984 in New York City. His father, whom Carmelo was named after, died when he was two. Anthony started playing basketball with his older brothers when he was seven and he soon made a name for himself in Brooklyn youth b-ball games. His older sister, Michelle, and her friends formed a cheer team and made up cheers for Carmelo. When Carmelo Anthony was eight, the family moved to Baltimore, Maryland and he started winning awards for his play at local recreation centers.

Carmelo Anthony played basketball at the private catholic high school where him mom sent him, but he didn't developed into a star player until his junior year. In his senior year of high school, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, where he was named a high school All-American. Carmelo Anthony could probably have jumped to the NBA right after high school, as many scouts predicted he would be a first-round pick. But Anthony's mom insisted he go to college, where he would become a star for the Syracuse Orangemen.

In his freshman year at Syracuse University, Carmelo Anthony led the Orangemen to the NCAA Title, with an 81-78 victory over Kansas, and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Carmelo Anthony's performance at the Final Four made him a lock to be a top selection at the 2003 NBA Draft. Anthony was selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets and was a big reason why the team went from NBA bottom feeders to playoff contenders. Carmelo Anthony has averaged over 18 points and six rebounds per game in his rookie year and finished second to Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers in voting for the 2003-2004 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Carmelo Anthony played for the United States basketball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Anthony did not have a strong tournament and spent a lot of time on the bench, as the United States had to settle for a bronze medal.