Carmelo Anthony Named 2016 Puerto Rican Day Parade King
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has been named the 2016 Puerto Rican Day Parade King.
Carmelo Anthony is one of the most decorated players in NBA history. A nine-time All-Star with six All-NBA selections and a scoring title, Anthony’s resume has has him on a Hall of Fame trajectory.
For all that he’s accomplished, no accolade quite compares to the most recent addition to his resume.
According to Erica Y. Lopez of The New York Daily News, Anthony has been named the 2016 Puerto Rican Day Parade King. It’s an incredible honor bestowed upon a celebrity of Puerto Rican descent.
Per Lopez, Anthony believes that his celebrity status and position as Puerto Rican Day Parade King can bring attention to the trying times in Puerto Rico.
"“For me, it’s just sad. I have a voice. I want it to be heard and I want to help. Especially now — I would like to do so much. It’s just hard. The resources are not there,” says Anthony.“But it’s also about me giving back to the community and letting our people know that I am here and I don’t mind being the face and just putting the island on my back. I think it’s been missing people that are willing to just step up to the plate and say, ‘We are Puerto Ricans and we will continue to be here, standing strong in the face of adversity.’”"
Per usual, Anthony is being a wonderful voice in the community.
Anthony was born to a Puerto Rican father and an African-American mother. His father died when he was young, but Anthony has gone out of his way to learn more about his lineage.
Anthony opened up about that process to Lopez.
"“As I got older, I was trying to do more research about my dad and his side — just talking to family members. I have a sister, aunts and uncles,” says Anthony.“I said, I’m just going to go down to the island, start there and dig. I found myself going back every summer — spending months down there,” he recalls."
It’s a beautiful thing when a human being is able to to immerse themselves in their family’s history.
As the NBA expands on a global spectrum, it’s vital that its stars use their fame to speak out on important issues. Anthony, for instance, has pull in the basketball community, and is one of the most popular athletes in the world.
According to a fascinating article put together by Ben Alamar of ESPN, it was established that Anthony is the 29th most popular athlete in the world.
With that type of acclaim comes a responsibility to speak out on important issues. Anthony has never refrained from doing so, and it’s wonderful to see him taking a stand for Puerto Rico.
He won’t be alone in his star-studded representation of his great nation.
Actress Rosario Dawson, who currently stars as Claire Temple on two of Marvel’s Netflix series, Daredevil and Jessica Jones, will be the Puerto Rican Day Parade Queen. She’s emerged as a prominent political activist over the past few years, as well.
Together, Anthony and Dawson will look to celebrate their pride and bring attention to the issues that currently plague Puerto Rico, as well as Puerto Ricans in the United States of America.
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For all that he consistently does for communities around the world, New York Knicks fans should be proud to have a man like Carmelo Anthony as team captain.