In this week’s CNBC Sport videocast, CNBC Media & Sports Reporter Alex Sherman spoke with Hall of Fame Basketball Player Carmelo Anthony on the “House of Melo,” a new basketball exhibit in Baltimore honoring the Hall of Famer, his broadcast debut with NBC (and the wardrobe choices that come with it), the sports betting scandal rocking the NBA, NIL, WNBA fight and more.
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CARMELO ANTHONY ON OPENING OF “HOUSE OF MELO”
CARMELO ANTHONY: We’re opening up the “House of Melo” at the Enoch Pratt Free Library downtown Baltimore. And we’re just doing this. This is an old back to they’re going to say that they’re, they’re honoring me, but I’m really giving back to to the city by allowing myself and my career, my journey, to be displayed at the Enoch Pratt Free Library, one of the only, one of the biggest free libraries in the country. So I’m here to help the people and the youth, and to get these kids back into libraries, and it’s not the same old library like we that we grew up on, you know, back in the day, it’s totally different now. The way you consume, the way you read, the way you interact, is totally different now. So I want to give the city just that.
CARMELO ANTHONY ON HIS WARDROBE DURING DEBUT AS NBA ON NBC ANALYST
SHERMAN: I’ve got to ask you about your outfit. Some people online were commenting that they noticed that that your colleagues were wearing suits and you were wearing sort of a zip up, like what we’re wearing now, like, tell me the thought that went into that.
ANTHONY: It was just, I want it was just a cool, casual look. You know, it was actually, it was black dress pants. It was a black dress jacket that was just zipping. It wasn’t half zip, it was a whole zip up jacket. Had a nice Brioni brown shirt underneath, nice dress suit. So it was good. It was funny hearing all the, all the comments. Listen, it’s, I’m me. You know, NBC allows me to come and be who I, be who I am. And, you know, I’m very professional, very respectful. So I just looked at it like it was funny. And it’s first night, I mean, I’ll be doing this next five, six years, right? So, you know, I’m here, you’re going to see all types, types of outfits.
CARMELO ANTHONY ON SPORTS BETTING INTEGRITY
SHERMAN: Are you concerned at all about the integrity of the sport now that sports betting is so widespread?
ANTHONY: Concern, concern is a very deep word, is very strong word. I think some things need to be figured figured out because what’s happening is it’s starting to put a lot of pressure on the athlete. And, you know, athletes, they they may say, hey, we don’t care about parlays, but they care about it because it affects them. They, you know, mentally, it affects them. And you know, they don’t want to, they don’t want to have to come to a game and be worrying about their own fans cheering them or booing them because they didn’t make the parlay. They supposed to get 25 points, but they got 22, 23 points, and it, what it does is it changes the narrative of the game because just because you put you’ve been on 25 points, and I got 22 points, now that makes me, you look at me differently. Now I’m not the same type of player. Now I’m not this. Now I’m losing my skill set. Now I’m losing, so there’s just so much that comes along with with that. So yes, it do needs to be some ramifications around it, and I’m sure the powers that be are looking into that.
CARMELO ANTHONY ON NIL
ANTHONY: If I was playing in NIL, when I was playing, the NIL wasn’t around. If I had a chance to go to the NBA and just say, hey, I’m an 18th pick, I’m 22 pick, I’m the 25th pick, but I’m making millions of dollars in college. I’m going to stay in college because there’s, there’s the pressure of me going to the NBA, trying to make a team, trying to make a contract, deal with everything that comes along with being a part of the NBA and just that journey, right, and trying to figure out, I’d rather be comfortable.
CARMELO ANTHONY ON WNBA FIGHT
ANTHONY: I think it’s going to get ugly before it, before it gets better. And I just want the women to understand that it’s going to get ugly and be prepared for when it gets ugly. And if you’re not prepared for that, let’s, let’s, let’s figure this out. The money is going to come. You know this league, what we’ve seen the WNBA over the past four or five years, six, six seasons, we’ve seen the growth, we’ve seen expansions, we’ve seen new arenas. We’ve seen new players, we like, we’ve seen excitement, broadcasting deals, partnerships, sponsors. We’ve seen all of that grow in the past five, six years. So in the next five, six years, we’re going to see that league grow substantially. So I would just say, be patient. Continue to fight. Be patient, but understand and have a real plan and strategy on what you’re fighting for.
For more information contact:
Stephanie Hirlemann
CNBC
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