NBA Legend Carmelo Anthony Talks March Madness, Cooper Flagg, More in B/R Interview

Carmelo Anthony earned a spot on the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team as one of the best players in league history, but even he knows there's nothing like March Madness.

"The intensity level," the former Syracuse star told Bleacher Report when discussing what stands out about the NCAA tournament as a player. "The amount of focus that you have to have as a player and the mindset of win or go home. You win or you're going back to campus. As a student-athlete, you have that mentality. I don't want to go back to campus for this week, let's continue doing what we're doing. March is our month.

"The experience and the camaraderie and the intensity level of just being in the tournament. Going through the whole process of Selection Sunday and seeing who you're going to play, those experiences are movies within movies. I don't think there's another experience like it."

There has never been another season at Syracuse like the one Anthony enjoyed.

While he was with the Orange for just the 2002-03 campaign, it couldn't have gone better if it was scripted. He led them to the national championship as a freshman who won the 2003 NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player and Big East Rookie of the Year.

Anthony was also an All-Big East First Team and consensus All-American Second Team selection as he secured his spot as an all-time program legend who had his No. 15 jersey retired during a 2013 ceremony.

He was excellent all season but was particularly unstoppable in the biggest moments with double-doubles in each of the final three tournament games. He notched 20 points and 10 rebounds in the Elite Eight against Oklahoma, 33 points and 14 rebounds in the Final Four against Texas, and 20 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in the national championship against Kansas.

"That whole run," he said when asked about his favorite memory from his college career. "There was no better experience than that and being counted out and having a chance to not even make the tournament at times. It was like going from zero to hero. When you're a part of a movie like that, it's amazing."

Anthony went on to become the No. 3 overall pick of the 2003 NBA draft and played 19 seasons for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers.

His resume includes the 2012-13 scoring title, six All-NBA selections and 10 All-Star Game nods, and he was always known as one of the top pure scorers and defining players of his generation.

But that championship at Syracuse will always be a highlight of his basketball journey, and there are plenty of young players hoping to shine in a similar way with this year's Big Dance right around the corner.

"I'm excited to see the young guys get a chance to play in the tournament," Anthony said. "There's a lot of talk of one-and-done today, but having the chance to play in the tournament solidifies whether you're going to be one-and-done or not. Seeing those guys have the opportunity to play on the big stage like that under that scrutiny is exciting."

He predicted "this year will be one of the most exciting March Madness tournaments we've had in a long time" in large part because "there's no clear-cut winner" or "one team that is just going to run through it."

Anthony mentioned St. John's as a team that has caught his eye because "you can never count [head coach] Rick Pitino out of it" before also listing Duke as a team he could see winning it all.

If college basketball fans are looking for a freshman to shift into takeover mode and secure his college basketball legacy with a national championship much like Anthony did in 2003 with the Orange, they should look no further than Cooper Flagg with the Blue Devils.

The expected top pick of the 2025 NBA draft can do everything on the floor by attacking the rim off the bounce, shooting from the outside, creating shots for his teammates, battling for boards, facilitating when needed and even playing impressive defense at times.

He will likely be the best player on the floor whenever Duke plays in March, which could give it an advantage even against other championship contenders such as Auburn, Houston, Tennessee, Florida, St. John's and Alabama, among others.

"I love what he's doing," Anthony said of Flagg. "I love the way he's integrated himself into the Duke culture on campus and in the games. He's a Dukie. When you see him, you know he's a Dukie. I'm excited to see him make a run in the tournament."

Fans who watch Flagg make a run through the tournament will likely also see plenty of Anthony, as he joined AT&T for their Guaranteed Madness campaign and filmed a commercial that also features his son Kiyan, Dwyane Wade and his former Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

The commercial has fun with some of the recent statue unveilings in the sporting world—which is something Wade may be familiar with—and will play during the Big Dance.

"The partnership has been great," Anthony said. "It's been a lot of fun, they are very creative. It's great to have an opportunity to work with a company and brand like AT&T, especially around a moment like March Madness. It's a very special time of the year, it's a very special moment."

It also gave him an opportunity to work with Kiyan.

"It was good. It was like bring your kid to work day," he said. "I had an opportunity to let him see how I work on the set and how I work on the commercial and handle business. He's experiencing all of that as he gets a chance to be in one of the biggest campaigns that is out there for AT&T."

Kiyan Anthony will be in front of a national audience in more than just commercials next college basketball season when he suits up for Syracuse.

He is a 4-star prospect and the No. 34 overall player in the recruiting class of 2025, per 247Sports' composite rankings, and is part of the Orange's strong overall class that also includes 4-star prospects in Sadiq White Jr. and Luke Fennell.

That should help the program bounce back from what has been a disappointing 2024-25 campaign at 12-18 overall and 6-13 in ACC play. 

Anthony will also be following in his famous father's footsteps at the very same school.

"It's going to be an overwhelming experience watching him putting the uniform on and running out on the court for the first time," Carmelo Anthony said. "Each experience will have its own emotion and its own meaning behind it."

The Anthony legacy is alive and well at Syracuse and will add another chapter next season.