How a teenage Carmelo Anthony reacted when he found out Muhammad Ali knew him: "My sh*t left"

Even before he set foot on an NBA floor, Carmelo Anthony was already popular in sports circles after leading Syracuse University to its first-ever NCAA tournament title in 2003. He was so famous that even the late boxing icon Muhammad Ali apparently knew about him.

How a teenage Anthony reacted when he found out Ali knew him - Basketball Network - Your daily dose of basketball

Anthony shared on his podcast his first-ever encounter with "The Greatest" as his "We're here now" moment and being left speechless after hearing five sweet words from one of his idols.

"He's walking, and he's shaking everybody's hand," Anthony said while discussing how awe-inspiring to be in the same room as Ali was. "So, in my mind, I'm just like, 'What the fu*k? Nice to meet you, man.' ... At this time, mind you, I just won the championship, right? So, he walkin', boom, boom, and he get to me. And he shook my hand, and I said, 'How you doin', Mr. Ali? Carmelo Anthony.' And he grabbed me close. He was like, 'I know who you are.' My sh*t left."

Melo has EA to thank for

While Anthony received acclaim for his impressive rookie collegiate campaign, it was because of EA Sports that he was able to have a chance encounter with Ali. The retired forward was given the honor of appearing on the cover of the video game NCAA March Madness 2004.

Around the same time, the developer published the first release of the Fight Night series. As such, various athletes convened at the University of Southern California in 2003, giving Melo the opportunity to meet arguably the best boxer of all time and the person whom he once mentioned as the only one he ever wanted to meet.

But, upon learning that Ali knew him back, Anthony said he couldn't remember much from what happened that fateful day. The future Basketball Hall of Famer did recall that the legendary athlete loved doing sleight-of-hand illusions, which Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also once said he wouldn't forget about meeting Ali for the first time.

Melo likely made Ali proud

It's unclear if the boxing legend had kept track of Melo's NBA career. But if he did, Ali probably would have been proud of the 10-time All-Star. While Anthony never won a championship in the Association or clinched an All-NBA First-Team selection, he helped transform a couple of the organizations he suited up for and inspire the next generation of players.

Moreover, Melo was similar to the late heavyweight champion in that they made their nation proud in international competitions and used their platforms to fight for social justice. As some folks might remember, Anthony was the recipient of the inaugural Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award in 2021.

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How a teenage Carmelo Anthony reacted when he found out Muhammad Ali knew him: "My sh*t left"

Melo has EA to thank for

Melo likely made Ali proud

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