The 10 Greatest Moments From Carmelo Anthony's Freshman Year at Syracuse

It doesn't get better than this.

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Complex Original

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Before the NBA implemented its age-limit rule, elite high school players were skipping college completely in the early 2000s in hopes of hitting it big in the League. But as the top-recruit in the nation in 2002, Carmelo Anthony broke the mold and decided to head north to Syracuse University, committing early to Coach Jim Boeheim and the Orange on his birthday.

“That was like my birthday present,” recalls Anthony during an intimate family dinner hosted by Jordan Brand in mid-January. “I come home from school and Boeheim’s sitting in the living room…That moment kind of just switched everything.”

While Melo initially stated that he planned on staying for more than one year to develop his game before going pro, he instead took the college basketball world by storm and accomplished all of his goals in one fell swoop.

To give a brief recap of his 2002-03 campaign, Melo averaged 22.5 points and 10.0 rebounds a game, led ‘Cuse in scoring in 23 games, was named a Second Team All-American, and became the first freshman since “Never Nervous” Pervis Ellison in 1986 to lead a team to the National Championship. He also recorded 22 double-doubles, was named First Team All-Big East, the 2003 East Regional’s MVP, won the Wayman Tisdale Award, won the Big East Rookie of the Year Award, and led Syracuse to a 30-5 record. Last, but certainly not least, he led Syracuse to its only National Championship and won the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.

“After the game was over and y’all won, and everybody’s on the court going around, you looked for your mom in the stands and you mouthed ‘thank you’ to her,” recounts Larry Miller, president of Jordan Brand, sitting right next to Anthony. “What happened on the court was great, but that showed who you are as a person. That’s the thing that really kind of stood out for me when I think about that Syracuse game.”

Melo’s season set the bar for one-and-done college players, and no college player has been able to match what Anthony did during his incredible season in upstate New York eleven years ago. Without this legacy, the ‘Pure Platinum’ colorway of the M10 that dropped Saturday wouldn’t exist. So before you take a trip down memory lane, watch to see what it means to be a humble superstar.

The 10 Greatest Moments From Carmelo Anthony's Freshman Year at Syracuse

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Before the NBA implemented its age-limit rule, elite high school players were skipping college completely in the early 2000s in hopes of hitting it big in the League. But as the top-recruit in the nation in 2002, Carmelo Anthony broke the mold and decided to head north to Syracuse University, committing early to Coach Jim Boeheim and the Orange on his birthday.

“That was like my birthday present,” recalls Anthony during an intimate family dinner hosted by Jordan Brand in mid-January. “I come home from school and Boeheim’s sitting in the living room…That moment kind of just switched everything.”

While Melo initially stated that he planned on staying for more than one year to develop his game before going pro, he instead took the college basketball world by storm and accomplished all of his goals in one fell swoop.

To give a brief recap of his 2002-03 campaign, Melo averaged 22.5 points and 10.0 rebounds a game, led ‘Cuse in scoring in 23 games, was named a Second Team All-American, and became the first freshman since “Never Nervous” Pervis Ellison in 1986 to lead a team to the National Championship. He also recorded 22 double-doubles, was named First Team All-Big East, the 2003 East Regional’s MVP, won the Wayman Tisdale Award, won the Big East Rookie of the Year Award, and led Syracuse to a 30-5 record. Last, but certainly not least, he led Syracuse to its only National Championship and won the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award.

“After the game was over and y’all won, and everybody’s on the court going around, you looked for your mom in the stands and you mouthed ‘thank you’ to her,” recounts Larry Miller, president of Jordan Brand, sitting right next to Anthony. “What happened on the court was great, but that showed who you are as a person. That’s the thing that really kind of stood out for me when I think about that Syracuse game.”

Melo’s season set the bar for one-and-done college players, and no college player has been able to match what Anthony did during his incredible season in upstate New York eleven years ago. Without this legacy, the ‘Pure Platinum’ colorway of the M10 that dropped Saturday wouldn’t exist. So before you take a trip down memory lane, watch to see what it means to be a humble superstar.

10. Syracuse Debut

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November 14, 2002 vs. Memphis: 27 points, 11 rebounds

Playing against Memphis at Madison Square Garden in front of a national TV audience, Melo wasted no time showing the country why he was the No. 1 high school recruit in nation. Melo scored a then- Syracuse freshman record 27 points and grabbed 11 boards—his first of 21 double-doubles on the season. Unfortunately, his 27 wasn’t enough as an unranked Syracuse team lost 70-63 to Memphis. Despite the loss, the college basketball world was put on notice that the kid from Baltimore City was the real deal.

9. Carrier Dome Debut

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8. Last Syracuse Home Game

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7. The Nail-Biter

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February 15, 2003 vs. Notre Dame: 26 points, 9 rebounds

In a gritty game against a top-ten Irish team, it took a monster effort from Melo for the Orange to squeeze by for a one-point late season victory. In front of a 32,000-plus person crowd clad in Orange, Syracuse remained unbeaten at home thanks to 26 points and nine rebounds from its stud freshman.

6. The Comeback

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March 1, 2003 vs. Georgetown: 30 points, 15 rebounds

Down double digits on the road against a half decent Georgetown team, the 15th-ranked Orange faced the threat of a late-season upset. With Syracuse’s back against the wall, Melo played more like a veteran than a freshman and led the Orange comeback to force overtime. After a putrid first half that saw Anthony shoot just 3-10 from the field, Melo stormed back in the second half and overtime to finish with 30 points and 15 boards as ‘Cuse notched its 11th second-half come-from-behind victory of the season.

5. The Breakout

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February 23, 2003 vs. Michigan State: 25 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists

Going on the road to play in front of a sellout crowd at Michigan State’s Breslin Center is a daunting task for any college basketball player, let alone a freshman. With Tom Izzo glaring down on players from the Spartans’ bench, echoes of Magic Johnson permeating through the walls, and a raucous crowd, Michigan State owns one of the most intimidating home-court advantages in the nation. On Feb. 23, 2003 Carmelo Anthony stepped foot on the Breslin Center hardwood and silenced the capacity Spartan crowd.

Going 8-15 from the field and 5-5 from three-point territory, Melo finished with 25 points, seven boards and four dimes to lead the Orange to a 76-75 road win. Down the stretch, Melo played his best ball of the afternoon, scoring seven of the final nine Syracuse points, and showing the clutch factor that has made him deadly in crunch time during his NBA career.

Following the game, head coach Jim Boeheim told reporters, “When he’s shooting the ball well from the outside, he’s not guardable. I don’t think anybody, or any two guys, can guard him when he’s shooting well from the outside.”

4. Unanimous Choice for Big East Freshman of the Year

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3. Unanimous Choice for Wayman Tisdale Award

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2. Final Four Phenom

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April 5, 2003 vs. Texas: 33 points, 14 rebounds

With the stakes at their highest, Melo put on the best performance of his historic collegiate career with a career-high 33-point, 14-board effort that propelled the Orange to the National Championship game. Anthony was literally unstoppable against constant double-teams and unflappable despite the pressure packed situation. With ‘Cuse down 49-48 early in the second half, Melo ripped off 11 straight points to give the Orange an insurmountable lead and a trip to the National Championship game against Kansas.

Texas head coach Rick Barnes did everything he could to stop Melo, but no matter what he did, the freshman phenom made him pay. “I mean every point they score, you can almost attribute to Carmelo when he’s in the game, because he makes you help, he makes you rotate,” Barnes said following the game. “Tonight, every time they needed to make a big play, he made it.”

Melo’s 33 points still holds as an NCAA record for most points by a freshman in a Final Four game.

1. The Chip

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April 7, 2003 vs. Kansas: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists

Following an epic showing against Texas in the Final Four, Melo didn’t let his team, school, or the basketball world down in the National Championship game against Kansas. Visibly hampered by a back injury he suffered against the Longhorns, Melo weathered the Jayhawks defense and gutted out a 20-point, 10-rebound, 7-assist stat line.

When asked about Melo’s run to the National Championship, Boeheim kept it simple: “He’s a man, man,” said Boeheim. “He knows what to do.” Still a teenager, Anthony put together a mammoth-sized season, carrying Syracuse on his back to the university’s first and only National Championship.

For the 2003 NCAA Tournament, Anthony averaged 20.1 points and 9.8 boards which him a no-brainer for the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award. From unranked in the preseason to a National Championship and countless accolades, Melo’s freshman season at Syracuse goes down as one of, if not the greatest individual stretches in NCAA Basketball history.

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