Photographic evidence that Carmelo Anthony is, in fact, a hugger
For Carmelo Anthony, this has been a summer of redefinition.
An inarguably successful individual basketball player who has made nine All-Star appearances and earned six All-NBA berths, Anthony has made it past the second round of the playoffs just twice in 13 pro seasons and has never competed for an NBA championship … and yet, this summer’s turn for Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics gives him the chance to become the most accomplished and decorated men’s basketball player in both U.S. and Olympic history.
A child of West Baltimore who once drew widespread criticism for appearing in a 2004 DVD titled “Stop Snitchin’!” that featured alleged drug dealers threatening violence against people who would inform police about their illegal activities, Anthony has grown into one of the sporting world’s most vocal social activists, calling on multiple occasions for increased social and political action to end violence both by and against police officers in communities of color.
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It’s been pretty inspiring, really, and very cool to watch Melo find his comfort level while transitioning into something of an elder statesman, spokesperson and mentor. And yet, there’s just one bit of narrative re-shaping that seems out of place, and it comes to us courtesy of ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
The night was winding down when Anthony leapt off that bench before anyone else in red, white and blue and headed straight for DeMarcus Cousins, determined to console Cousins after he had just fouled out.
“I’m not really a hugger,” Melo confessed afterward.
But on this occasion?
“Sometimes you just gotta give [Cousins] a hug, man, and tell him everything’s gonna be all right.”
That’s true. Sometimes you do just need to hug Boogie, and Melo did:
❤️ #Rio2016 #Boogie #Melo pic.twitter.com/tdZCvG7zJM
— Luca Trovati (@Lukish25) August 9, 2016
What’s not true, though, is that Carmelo Anthony is not a hugger. Carmelo Anthony is a hugger.
Sure, there are times where he’s looked like he’s not a hugger:
But deep down, Melo’s all about bringing it in for the real thing. He has been since college:
And he has been a hugger throughout his professional career, whether internationally:
… or with the Denver Nuggets:
… or with the New York Knicks:
As you can see, Melo doth protest too much.
And that’s OK! It’s like the author Ann Hood said: “I have learned that there is more power in a good strong hug than in a thousand meaningful words.” And it’s also like the life coach Vin Diesel said: “With age, you get to a place where you don’t want to knock people out. You just want to give people a hug.” With the benefit of age, experience and perspective, Carmelo Anthony is changing the way we see him … but on this particular score, he should change the way he sees himself. You are a hugger, my dude. Embrace it, as you embrace seemingly everyone else.
Hat-tip to former BDL editor and longtime friend of the program Trey Kerby, and to NBA.com’s Jon Hartzell for the reminder on the young fan rushing out onto the court to hug Melo.
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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