The Big Lead

Former Knicks star to join 'NBA on NBC' as studio analyst: Report

By J.P. Hoornstra

Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (left) addresses the media as point guard Derrick Rose looks on during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton.
Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (left) addresses the media as point guard Derrick Rose looks on during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. / Andy Marlin-Imagn Images
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Weeks after Mike Tirico was officially named NBC’s lead play-by-play announcer for its return to the NBA next season, speculation lingered about who would fill out NBC's talent lineup in the analysts' chairs.

Specifically, which former players will be the face and voice of the NBA's long-awaited return to NBC?

According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, a certain Top-three 2003 draft pick is one — and it won't be LeBron James or Darko Milicic. Citing unnamed sources brief on NBC's plans, Carmelo Anthony will work as one of the network's top studio analysts next year.

Anthony, 40, last played in 2022-23 with the Los Angeles Lakers. In a 19-year career, the former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets star made 10 All-Star teams and was chosen to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

Besides starring for some big-market teams over a long career, Anthony was the inaugural winner of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy, given to a "social justice champion" by the league every year since 2021.

Anthony began dabbling in on-camera work before his playing career ended. In 2018 he co-founded Creative 7 productions, joining James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry as crossover players-slash-producers.

Anthony has also been nominated for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, whose next enshrinement ceremony is in September.

It's an interesting role reversal for Anthony, who admits he "fought the media forever" at stops in Denver, New York, Oklahoma City, Houston, Portland, and Los Angeles.

Anthony told Boardroom in February that he would be open to an analyst's job if the right opportunity presented itself.

“Why run away from industries?” he said. “If everybody’s saying this industry is an ‘X’ billion or ‘X’ trillion dollar industry, why wouldn’t I want to be in that? Media is growing and constantly changing at a rapid rate. So I’m going to get in that industry and see where I stand.”

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