Carmelo Anthony will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on September 6, and it turns out the former New York Knicks star finished just shy of getting his ideal star trio to present him with the honor.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, Allen Iverson and Dwyane Wade will be Melo’s presenters at the induction ceremony. That's a pretty strong duo right off the bat—a love letter to 2000s nostalgia, in all its oversized shorts glory. But there is one name, in particular, that’s missing from the list. And no, it’s not LeBron James, one of Anthony’s closest friends.
It’s actually Michael Jordan.
Carmelo Anthony called his Hall of Fame shot on Paul George’s podcast
During an appearance on the Podcast P with Paul George show earlier this year, Melo was asked who he wanted as his presenters for this Hall of Fame induction. He name-dropped three living legends: D-Wade, AI, and His Airness.
“I was inspired by MJ,” Anthony explained to George back in May. “Not only from a basketball standpoint. [But MJ,} as a Hall of Famer, seeing something in me as an 18-, 19-year-old kid, saying ‘One day he can be a Hall of Famer.” That’s major. So I gotta have him.”
Melo wants Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson & Dwyane Wade to introduce him into the Hall of Fame 👀
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 26, 2025
"My life was impacted by more than 1 person. I need 3." pic.twitter.com/QmL4VgfKxM
Receiving that kind of praise from Michael Jordan, of all people, when you’re still a teenager is patently absurd. It’s also a reminder of how much respect those who play or used to play the game have for Anthony, who is more of a divisive figure among fans, podcasters, analysts, league historians, etc.
Heck, he’s a divisive figure in Knicks lore, largely because of what the team gave up to get him back in 2011, and because of how little playoff success the organization had with him. Some even remain split on whether New York should even retire his jersey.
Michael Jordan and Carmelo Anthony share special ties
Granted, Anthony’s interest in MJ probably shouldn’t come as a surprise. First of all, who wouldn’t want one of the two GOAT candidates to induct them into the Hall of Fame? Moreover, the two have tighter ties than many realize. Remember, Melo signed with Jordan Brand coming right out of Syracuse, with MJ fresh off his third retirement.
In fact, the then-19-year-old was the first other player (aside from Jordan himself) to sign with the company. Melo detailed how this came to be back in 2020 while appearing on UNINTERRUPTED's WRTS: After Party series (h/t Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report):
"I was the first signature athlete at the brand…There wasn't a plan at that point in time. LeBron was at Nike, and MJ stepped up and said, 'Look, I'll pay half. Nike pay half. I'll take Melo, y'all got LeBron, Converse got D-Wade and Bosh, and they had a crew over there at Converse.”
Just imagine knowing Michael Jordan felt that type of way about you. Goosebumps on goosebumps, right?
Jordan brand ended up releasing 13 signature shoes under Melo’s name. The line was discontinued in 2017, but Melo remains a brand ambassador, something he also confirmed on PG’s pod.
It’s too bad, really, that Jordan won’t be alongside D-Wade and AI to induct Anthony into the Hall of Fame. That would be a sight to behold. But hey, two out of three ain’t bad, right?