"HAKIM WARRICK STILL remembers his initial glimpse of Carmelo Anthony before a pick-up game at Syracuse University more than 20 years ago. As the team took the court at the Orange's old Manley Field House practice facility on that summer day back in 2002, Warrick was skeptical, to put it mildly. "I'm looking at him and I'm like, 'This little chubby dude is who everybody's so hyped about?'" Warrick told ESPN."
"Anthony's solo season at Syracuse was an unprecedented success, with the team starting unranked and finishing 30-5. He scored more points than any freshman in program history and became the first freshman in NCAA history to be named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. He led Syracuse to its first and only men's basketball title in 2003 with 33 points and 14 rebounds in the semifinals over Texas, and 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists in the championship over Kansas."
""He stands out," Syracuse's longtime coach, Jim Boeheim, told ESPN. "We've had great players. Going back to [Dave] Bing, who was an incredible player, but Pearl [Washington] and Sherman [Douglas] and Derrick [Coleman] and [Rony] Seikaly, Billy Owens, John Wallace. There's been a lot. But Carmelo won it. It's pretty simple. He was a great player and he won it.""
Carmelo Anthony burst onto the national stage during a dominant 2002-03 season at Syracuse, producing immediate high-scoring performances including 27 points in his collegiate debut. He led Syracuse from an unranked start to a 30-5 record and became the first freshman ever named Final Four Most Outstanding Player, powering the program to its only men's national title with standout semifinal and championship games. Early teammate skepticism gave way to admiration as he showcased an all-around game. Anthony played 19 NBA seasons without winning a championship, and his Hall of Fame induction recognizes sustained excellence beyond rings.
Read at ESPN.com
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