Carmelo Anthony’s ‘Creative 7’ to Produce Four-Part Docuseries “Seven” About the NBA All-Star

Carmelo Anthony’s life is headed to the small screen…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player has teamed up with Westbrook Studios and Falkon Entertainment on Seven, a four-part docuseries, which Anthony’s company Creative 7 will also produce.

Carmelo AnthonyNamed after Anthony’s signature jersey, Seven will chronicle the life and career of the 10-time NBA All-Star and entrepreneur, starting with his childhood, diving into the good, the bad, and sometimes ugly experiences and learnings that shaped him into the man and the athlete that he is today.

Seven promises to reveal the truth behind notable moments throughout Anthony’s career, many of which he has never spoken about publicly before. The series will also take an introspective look at his life and who he is today — at practice, after games, with his family — through the lens of what it means to be an athlete, a celebrity, and most importantly, a human being.

Anthony and his long-time business partner Asani Swann will executive produce the project via their Creative 7 production company alongside Terence Carter and Sahara Bushue for Westbrook Studios, and Dexton Deboree and Wondwossen Dikran on behalf of Falkon Entertainment.

“The biggest question everyone is probably thinking is – why now? Why choose this moment to tell my story? The short of it is I’ve spent enough time letting other people speak for me. It’s time for my truth,” said Anthony. “I look forward to viewers finally having the opportunity to hear about my journey in my own words. Westbrook Studios, Falkon Entertainment and my team at Creative 7 have been immensely supportive of my vision for this project and I am proud that we have been able to make this series a reality.”

Anthony’s career highlights to date include him being a three-time Olympic gold medalist, ninth on the NBA all-time scorer list and one of the NBA’s top 75 players in history. He has played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Nicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston RocketsPortland Trail Blazers and, most recently the Los Angeles Lakers.

Off the court, Anthony has been focused on his other brands, business ventures, and philanthropic efforts and he also has been a leading voice in the ongoing fight for social justice.

Carmelo Anthony Moves Into Top 10 on NBA All-Time Scoring List

Carmelo Anthony is movin’ on up…

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, has moved into the top 10 all time in NBA scoring, passing Elvin Hayes.

Carmelo Anthony

With 11:09 left in the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Anthony isolated on the right wing and pulled up from 3, plus the foul. After his trademark move of hitting the side of his head with three fingers, Anthony raised both arms in the air as a quick acknowledgement of the accomplishment.

It was his third 3 of the first half, giving him 12 points. Anthony entered Monday’s game against the Hawks nine points behind Hayes’ career total of 27,313.

He finished the night with 14 points overall — and 27,318 for his career — as Portland fell to Atlanta, 123-114.

“I think after it’s done, whenever it happens, I think I’ll be more in awe of it,” Anthony told ESPN by phone last week. “This is something I never, ever thought about. When you’re young you look up at that list and you’re like, ‘Damn, so-and-so has that many points? I’ll never be able to do that.’ I’m more just in awe of it.”

Moses Malone is next up on the all-time list at 27,409, a reachable number this season if Anthony maintains his current scoring pace.

Anthony’s journey to the top 10 comes with context, with him away from the NBA for a season after being cut by the Houston Rockets after just 10 games early in the 2018-19 season. Anthony continued working out and signed with the Trail Blazers in November 2019, starting all 58 games last season. He agreed to a bench role this season with Portland and entered Monday averaging 13.6 points as a sixth man.

A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony is in his 18th NBA season. He won the scoring title with the New York Knicks in 2012-13, averaging 28.7 points. Anthony spent 10 consecutive seasons in the top 10 in scoring and finished as a runner-up for the scoring title twice in that stretch.

Anthony’s point distribution is 13,970 in eight seasons with the Denver Nuggets, 10,186 in seven seasons with the Knicks, 1,261 in one season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, 134 with the Rockets and now 1,754 in two seasons with the Blazers.

This season, Anthony has moved past Tim DuncanDominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson and Hakeem Olajuwon in scoring.

Carmelo Anthony Earns Player of the Week Honors for First Time in Five Years

Carmelo Anthony is back in the game in a big way…

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican basketball star returned to the NBA only two weeks ago, but he’s already earning kudos for his strong play.

Carmelo Anthony

The league has named Anthony, a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, its Western Conference Player of the Week. The Trail Blazers went 3-0, beating the Chicago Bullstwice, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony led those efforts, averaging 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

The last time Anthony was named a player of the week was March 10, 2014, while he was a member of the New York Knicks.

Anthony has now played six games for the Trail Blazers since signing with them last month. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30.7 minutes per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.

Prior to inking the non-guaranteed contract with Portland, the 10-time All-Starhadn’t played since November 8, 2018, with the Houston Rockets.

Houston Rockets Reportedly Pursuing Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony may be rocketingto Texas…

The Houston Rockets are reportedly planning to ramp up their pursuit of the 34-year-old Puerto Rican basketball player once he becomes available after a trade and buyout or waive and stretch with the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN.

Carmelo Anthony

The move comes after free-agent forward Luc Mbah a Moute agreed to a one-year, $4.3 million deal with the LA Clippers, league sources told ESPN.

The Clippers are paying Mbah a Moute the balance of their midlevel exception, bringing him back to the franchise after a season away with the Rockets. 

The Thunder could waive and stretch Anthony’s $27.9 million salary, saving the franchise $107 million in salary and tax, within the next seven to 10 days if they are unable to find a trade partner, league sources said.

The Rockets will be a premium consideration for Anthony, along with the Miami Heat, league sources said.

New York Knicks Play Tribute Video for Carmelo Anthony’s Homecoming

It’s a bittersweet homecoming for Carmelo Anthony

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player received a mostly warm welcome from New York Knicks fans Saturday night in his first game at Madison Square Garden since joining the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Carmelo Anthony

There were loud cheers for Anthony during his introduction, and some noticeable boos.

The Knicks played a tribute video for Anthony before his name was called during the traditional starting lineup introductions. The video showed some of the big shots and highlight games during Anthony’s 6½ seasons in New York and was met with a loud ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd.

Anthony said he was surprised by the video and thanked the organization for the gesture.

“That was big-time, and for me that goes a long way,” Anthony said, who admitted the clip brought a mixed bag of emotions as it reminded him of the Knicks’ shortcomings during his tenure.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling for me — coming back here, knowing the goals that I had, what I wanted to accomplish here and falling short in that category,” he said.

Anthony, playing the second night of a back-to-back after logging 47 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers, was held to 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting Saturday. He went scoreless in the second half, and the Knicks spoiled his return by topping the Thunder 111-96.

The 10-time NBA All-Star was booed throughout the game when he touched the ball and when he subbed out of the game near the end of regulation. He said afterward that he wasn’t surprised by the reaction.

“They can’t cheer for me. I’m on another team,” Anthony said. “They’re cheering for their team. They boo for the other team. That’s something that I expected.”

During Anthony’s tenure in New York, the Knicks advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once and failed to reach the postseason the past four seasons. Teammates have credited Anthony for how he handled the off-court drama of trade speculation and critiques — both direct and indirect — delivered by former Knicks president Phil Jackson throughout the 2016-17 season.

Anthony declined to say whether his return would have felt different if Jackson were still in New York, saying he has put his issues with Jackson behind him.

“I try not to think about that,” Anthony said.

Anthony was dealt to the Thunder in late September in exchange for Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, ending months of drama with the Knicks that began when Jackson publicly stated his desire to trade the All-Star forward. With a list narrowed down to only a few teams, Anthony waived his no-trade clause to accept a deal to the Thunder.

After Saturday’s loss, he spoke about how he wanted to be remembered as a Knick.

“Somebody who wanted to be here, came here, did what he had to do night in and night out whether people liked it or not, remained positive through all the negative situations and all the negative times,” Anthony said. “Somebody who stayed professional throughout my seven years here and somebody who had hopes and dreams of winning the championship here in New York and fell short at that.

“So that’s something that I will always hold over my head as far as it comes to that. But I will always be kind of part of this culture here. For me it’s different than any other basketball player that comes through here, that played with the Knicks. It’s deeper than basketball when it comes to me and this city.”

The Knicks (16-13) have exceeded expectations in their first season without Anthony. They have relied on ball movement and a solid approach to team defense in the first two months of the season. New York entered Friday ranked 15th in defensive efficiency (up from 25th last season) and 11th in assist ratio (up from 23rd).

“I like what I see,” Anthony said of the Knicks’ potential going forward. “I like the potential they have. For me, to see those guys having fun again, knowing it wasn’t fun, to see them having fun bringing the energy and love back to the Garden. I’m happy for those guys when it comes to that.”

New York Knicks Agree to Trade Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Carmelo Anthony is ready to take Oklahoma by (thunder)storm

The New York Knicks have agreed to trade the 33-year-old half-Puerto Rican NBA star, a 10-time All-Star forward, to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN.

Carmelo Anthony

The Thunder will send center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick (via the Chicago Bulls) to New York, league sources said.

Anthony, 33, will waive his no-trade clause and his $8.1 million trade kicker to accommodate the deal, league sources told ESPN.

A trade call is scheduled for Monday to finalize the deal with the league office, sources said. Anthony is planning to arrive on Monday afternoon in Oklahoma City to take a physical and be available to practice Tuesday at the opening of the Thunder’s training camp, according to league sources.

Anthony would only waive his no-trade clause for the Thunder, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources said. His no-trade clause will go with him to Oklahoma City.

Anthony joins the league’s reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook, and All-Star forward Paul George on a reshaped and formidable Western Conference contender. Westbrook and George — who could become free agents in the summer of 2018 — played a significant role in recruiting Anthony to waive his no-trade clause for Oklahoma City, league sources said.

The Thunder made a huge commitment with the Anthony deal, incurring $27.8 million in luxury tax for the 2017-18 season. The Thunder payroll will rise to $134 million this season. Anthony has two years, $54 million left on his contract, including a player option for $27.9 million in 2018-19.

Gasol Reportedly Inching Closer to Deal with the Chicago Bulls

Pau Gasol may be dealing with plenty of bull in the near future…

The 34-year-old Spanish professional basketball player is reportedly thisclose to joining the Chicago Bulls, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca and other media reports.

Pau Gasol

The paper first reported late Friday that the Bulls are closing in on a deal with Gasol despite the absence of a sign-and-trade agreement with his most recent team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com late Friday that a sign-and-trade arrangement had not been struck, with the Lakers still looking for draft compensation — as they received in Friday’s earlier trade with the Houston Rockets to take back the contract of Jeremy Lin — as the primary return for Gasol.

ESPN.com reported earlier Friday that the Bulls and San Antonio Spurs had emerged as the two leading candidates to land Gasol, with San Antonio poised to land the Spaniard if the Bulls and Lakers could not finalize a sign-and-trade deal.

Sources told ESPN.com late Friday that the Bulls were prioritizing their pursuit of Gasol even ahead of their long-running efforts to sign Carmelo Anthony, fearing that Anthony remains likely to stay with the New York Knicks.

The Lakers appear resigned to seeing Gasol exit after a successful six seasons together. Prior to Friday, the Lakers offered Gasol two deals: two years worth $23 million, and three years worth $29 million, a National Basketball League source told ESPNLosAngeles.com. Gasol turned down both offers, according to the source.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been pursuing Gasol as hard as anyone, but sources indicated Friday that the Spurs have joined the Bulls ahead of the Thunder in Gasol’s pecking order.

The Thunder had a $6.5 million trade exception that expired Friday night at 11:59 p.m. ET that they had hoped to use in their own sign-and-trade with L.A.

Making hard runs at free agents is not something seen often from the Thunder, but Gasol had been lobbied face to face by OKC stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook as well as coach Scott Brooks and general manager Sam Presti since free agency began.

The Knicks, meanwhile, had been trying to trade Amar’e Stoudemire or Andrea Bargnani in hopes of clearing sufficient salary-cap space to convince Gasol to come to New York to play alongside a re-signed Anthony. But sources said Friday night that the Knicks, like the Lakers and Thunder, appeared to be out of contention.

Sanchez Performs National Anthem at Game One of the NBA Finals

She may not have taken home the American Idol crown… But Jessica Sanchez is still singing to the rafters and impressing audiences with her dynamic voice.

Less than three weeks after delivering two memorable Memorial Day performances on national television, the 16-year-old half-Mexican singer wowed the crowd before game one of the NBA Finals.

Jessica Sanchez at the NBA Finals

Before the start of the game between the Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, Sanchez performed an inspired rendition of the National Anthem that results in massive cheers from the crowd.

Before singing “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the pint-sized singer from San Diego was asked by one of her followers on Twitter who she was cheering for. Her response? “im all about thunder tonight! ;)”

And the Thunder rolled in Game One… Teaming up with Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant took over the game and outscored LeBron James‘ team in the second half to beat the Heat 105-94.

The crowd even chanted “MVP” as Durant sealed the victory with two foul shots in the final 12 seconds of the game.

Four More Years for the Grizzlies’ Gasol…

NBA star Marc Gasol has no plans to leave his Memphis home in the near future…

The 26-year-old Spanish ‘baller has signed a new $58 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies to stay with the team for the next four years.

Marc Gasol

“I didn’t see myself other than with this team, whether it was going to be for the long term or one year,” said the the 7-foot-1 center after signing his contract extension. “I definitely thought I would be here this year.”

There was a lot on speculation that Gasol would play out the final year of his Grizzlies contract and become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. And, team officials had vowed all along to match any contract offer from another team.

Now that Gasol is staying put, the Grizzlies will keep the core of the team that made the Western Conference semifinals last season intact.

Gasol helped lead the Grizzlies to their best season in franchise history. Memphis, which had never even won a playoff game before last season, defeated the Western Conference’s top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the opening round, then went to a deciding seventh game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“In the short three years here, Marc has advanced through the ranks and become one of the top centers, not just the top young centers, but the top centers overall in the NBA,” says Memphi general manager Chris Wallace.

Last season, Gasol averaged 11.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and a career-high 2.5 assists and 1.68 blocks in the regular season. But he averaged 15.0 points and 11.2 rebounds in the postseason.