Carmelo Anthony to Be Part-Owner for Team in Australia’s NBL, Eyes NBA Ownership

Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVJune 4, 2024

Rich Graessle/Getty Images

Carmelo Anthony already starred as an NBA player and eventually wants to be a team governor.

For now, though, he is building ownership experience overseas.

Marc J. Spears of ESPN and Andscape reported Monday that Anthony is going to be an owner of an expansion team in the National Basketball League. The NBL is the top men’s professional league in Australia and New Zealand and currently has 10 teams.

It remains to be seen where the location of the expansion team will be, but NBL president Larry Kestelman is working with Anthony to determine the outcome.

That won’t be the 10-time All-Star’s only role in the league.

He will also be the global ambassador for the NBL’s Next Stars program, which is a one-year program that has helped produce players such as LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey and Alex Sarr, who is the potential No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected Sarr to be the No. 2 pick in his latest mock draft.

“It’s time that the rest of the world knows exactly what’s happening over there in Australia and the excitement from around the rest of the world that’s happening for the NBL,” Anthony said.

“The NBA draft is about to happen. So, you’ll start seeing those pipelines of players coming from the Stars program here to the NBA. There is just a lot of excitement around it. I get a chance to be a part of it in a very integral way, in a very pivotal way where we’re opening up doors and connecting players, we’re connecting the game of basketball from a global standpoint. I’m excited about it.”

NBA on ESPN @ESPNNBANBA legend Carmelo Anthony has joined ownership of an expansion team in Australia’s NBL 👏

Eight players have been drafted out of the NBL’s Next Stars program, including LaMelo Ball. 🏀 pic.twitter.com/BpLKLEHRVX

Spears noted there is a larger goal in place as well.

“Now. I want it now,” Anthony said when discussing eventual NBA ownership. “And that’s something that I’m working towards as we speak. So, I’m actually excited about those opportunities.”

Anthony is surely familiar with the NBA game following a 19-year career that included stops on the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers.

He led the league in scoring in 2012-13 and finished his career with six All-NBA selections and 10 All-Star nods. He was also named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team and is a surefire future Hall of Famer.

Now he is looking ahead to the next chapter, and that will include growing the sport overseas before a possible return to the NBA in an ownership role.