Golden State Warriors superstar and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant had an idol growing up: New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.
A professional basketball player can have as grand of an influence on the world as any individual in any walk of life. It has nothing to do with money or merchandise and everything to do with being visible, accessible, and relatable.
Over the past two years, Carmelo Anthony‘s influence has been as powerful as any NBA player in recent memory.
One player who can testify to Anthony’s immeasurable influence is Kevin Durant. The 2014 NBA MVP and four-time scoring champion came from the same area as Anthony and understandably viewed him in a positive light.
According to David Aldridge of NBA.com, Durant has looked up to Anthony since he was 15 years of age.
"“He’s a real bro,” Durant said. “That’s my guy. I’ve looked up to Carmelo since I was 15 years old. I wanted to be Carmelo. And once I got the opportunity to hang around him and get to know him a little deeper, coming into the Draft, I asked him for advice here and there, and it just made things, it made the relationship even smoother. Coming from the same area — not close — he could tell that I wanted to reach out to him, and he wanted to reach out to me. Once we did it, it was just organic and smooth, and he’s been a real friend ever since.”"
That’s the beauty of basketball.
Basketball isn’t just about taking the court, putting the ball in the hole, and celebrating. It’s about camaraderie and family, which even the most bitter of rivals were able to achieve off the court in previous eras.
Lest we forget: Michael Jordan and Chuck Daly, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, and Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell all became close over the years.
The caveat, of course, is that those players and coaches wanted to go at each other for 48 minutes on the basketball court.
In this instance, Durant watched someone come up from where he lived and make it in the NBA. Through all of the violence, drug abuse, and police corruption that plagues the DMV, Anthony found a way to make it—a sign of hope for young men and women surrounded by the same evils.
Anthony can’t even process how much of an honor it is to have a surefire Hall of Famer like Durant look up to him.
"“We had this conversation years ago,” Anthony said. “I’ve always heard that, from people back home, I’ve always heard that KD looked up to me. Now, I look at him as my peer. I don’t look at him as a guy who looked up to me. I respect that. It’s just hard, man, to see, to know, for me to fathom the fact that one of the greatest players in the world looks up to me, even now. It’s crazy — he looks up to me and I respect him and honor him, his game and his work ethic. That’s something that I appreciate about him.”"
Again: that’s the beauty of basketball.
Anthony’s backstory is one of tragedy, triumph, and perseverance. That’s a story that many people, let alone NBA players, can relate to. Durant clearly does.
It’s part of what makes Anthony one of the most popular and well-liked athletes in the world today.
ESPN ranked Anthony as the No. 29 most popular athlete on the planet. Some were surprised, but it’s a testament to the man and likable personality that Anthony is and possesses.
The fact that Durant looked up to Anthony implies countless other young men and women around the world are doing the same.
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Thank you for representing the New York Knicks in such a positive manner, Carmelo Anthony.