“How can I be known for being a visionary, for being truly great?” Carmelo Anthony asked one of his brand managers in this month’s ESPN Magazine profile of him.
There’s a number of different ways to answer that question depending on which definition of “visionary” you subscribe to. I see that word thrown around a lot these days on the web and, unfortunately, I think it has lost some of its meaning. As for me, I like the straightforward definition my dictionary app gives: a person with original ideas about what the future could be like.
As fans when we think about a player’s legacy, we tend to base it more on anecdotal accounts than we do on career statistics, and there’s no doubt Melo’s career will end with him being inducted into the Hall of Fame. Will he get there with championships attached to his name? At the looks of it, things seem pretty bleak, but forget about championships for a minute. Will he get there known for being a player that made those around him, and ultimately his team better? Hell, will he even get there with more than second round playoff success? Of course this is the same old palaver we have all heard before, and precisely the kind Melo mentioned being sick of.
Then again, as Melo said, he wants to be known for being more than just a basketball player. The story of him being disturbed that his son Kiyan can only sum up his dad as “a basketball player,” and nothing else, was touching and challenges us to think of Melo beyond the game of basketball. So when he told his brand managers he wants to be bigger than just a basketball player, they quickly filled in those holes by reassuring Melo that his story of triumphing out of poverty and becoming the star he is today is what makes him stand out from others. I’ve always believed that the adversity makes the most out of a man, and I agree with his brand managers here, but honestly, about half the league can also say this about themselves.
So the question remains; what can Melo do to ensure he is remembered as a visionary? When an athlete’s career is over, they are typically remembered for the accomplishments they achieved in their sport, or for their success in business. With the shocking amount of athletes that go broke after retirement, within 5 years 60% of NBA players will, continued financial success seems especially notable. While Melo’s interview focused heavily on his hopes for business ventures, it’s easy to tell that he doesn’t want money to define him anymore than wins though. In his words he wants “a bulletproof legacy” to leave behind him, and according to his brand managers, he’s already there. When told his website has 1.7 million page views and that he has 5.6 million followers on Twitter, Melo responded with “That’s good. That’s real impact.”
“Impact”
I want to talk about “real impact” for a moment. By now there’s no doubt Melo is dutifully consumed with leaving his mark on the world and contributing enough to ensure the next time his son has to write about his father, he can have a lot more to write about other than “basketball player.” The article makes reference to Melo calling other successful athletes for advice and forming a close relationship with former Columbia House President Stuart Goldfarb. This makes me wonder how others are guiding him on how to make that impact he is seeking. In fact, Melo isn’t the only NBA player that has been concerned with making an impact on the world recently.
A few days ago Animal Planet aired a documentary called “Saving Africa’s Giants” which followed Yao Ming around central Africa as he continues his journey to help bring an end to China’s ferocious ivory demand that’s devastated the worlds remaining elephant and rhino populations. Yao has made this a personal mission, and it’s not even the first time he’s taken on a global issue. A year ago, it was reported that a similar campaign he took to end China’s shark fin soup demand has had some dramatic success in slowing Chinese appetites for that delicacy- a 30% decline that’s been called simply astounding.
Of course Yao isn’t the only NBA player that has taken on global causes that have been ripped from the headlines. Earlier this month, the Center for Disease Control Foundation announced bringing on Dikembe Mutombo to their Board of Directors. They seek to tap into his experience in building Hospitals in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help stem the tide of the current Ebola outbreak that’s taken over 5,500 lives. Remember that simple definition of “visionary” at the beginning of this article? The work being done by former All-Stars Yao and Mutombo is what leaves a mark on the world and will speak much louder of them than their career statistics will, or the fact they never won a ring. They may not be NBA Champions but in the world’s eyes, they are greater than that.
“Visionary”
As for Melo and his own journey to leave a mark on the world, he’s gone the way of investing in a portfolio of tech startups. Despite recent concerns that the tech bubble is about to burst, his partnership with Goldfarb is a shrewd one that will hopefully guide him through the deluge of venture capitalists and business plans probably headed his way. He’s not the first NBA player to take an interest in tech, but with other players still investing in classic gambles like restaurants and drinks, he might be the most popular of them investing in tech. I guess this is what makes him a visionary.
Unfortunately for Melo, fans probably aren’t going to remember him for his business ventures. I personally couldn’t care less about them since I just want to watch a respectable team. No, years from now when Knick fans talk about Melo it will go one of three ways: the guy that finally brought a championship to New York, gifted player that was fun to watch while he was here, or simply perennial loser #746 that the Knicks threw all their money at with nothing to show for it. “Visionary” won’t be used in those conversations because that’s a word some of us save for evocative names like Malala Yousafzi, Elon Musk, Geoffrey Canada, Salman Kahn, Ai Weiwei, Pope Francis, and, heck, maybe even Yao Ming. With the way we think of sports stars differently than other public figures, Melo might be left just being another rich athlete and not much else to the rest of us.
Here’s the thing about being remembered as visionary though: he still might be able to attain that from old fashioned success on the court. For Melo to pass on the league leading Chicago Bulls aggressive pursuit of him this past summer, it undoubtedly took vision to look at the Knicks scrapyard of a roster and convince himself into thinking he could turn this pitiful team around. It took vision to force his way to New York in the first place when just about every other big name athlete passed on the challenge and scrutiny of playing here. I really do like Melo as a player, and I have a great deal of respect for him as an individual, more so than I do for most athletes. I also really am impressed by these existential questions Melo is asking about himself that few athletes probably ever care to think about.
However, I think in order to have a “bulletproof” legacy, it has to start on the court first. Even his brand managers agree with that by their harsh admission that he’ll be “irrelevant in 5 years when he’s only scoring 12 points a game,” so by that measure time is running out. One thing doesn’t change though, and that’s the fact that bringing a championship to Madison Square Garden remains one of the greatest and most elusive feats in modern sports. That alone will forever enshroud an athlete in praise. Can you even imagine the media reaction of that in today’s constant news/opinion saturated world? Multiply that by ten.
Of course if Melo is genuine in wanting to be remembered outside of basketball, as a wildly popular multimillionaire athlete, he has a unique ability to influence others, and he can do it right here in New York City. With Thanksgiving a few days away and New York families in need as much as ever (half of New York City), he can follow Yao and Mutumbo’s lead and do something truly impactful. Something that gets the attention of those that don’t follow sports, and something his son will remember the next time he has to write about what his dad does for a living.
Ultimately, Melo doesn’t owe anybody anything, not even Knick fans. It’s Melo’s choice to do what he wants with his money and career, but if he is serious about being remembered as visionary, I truly look forward to seeing where this journey takes him, and I’ll damn sure be rooting for him the rest of the way.
Follow Richard Bertin on Twitter @RichardBertin and check out his Knicks’ blog “Starks Raving Mad” or email him at richbertin@gmail.com