After an extensive and illustrious career in the NBA, Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement last May. Across 19 seasons, the 10X NBA All-Star amassed several accolades to his name. He is considered one of the best scorers in the league’s history and was named the NBA Scoring Champion in 2013. So, it comes as no surprise that Melo Man is ranked 9th among the NBA’s all-time scoring leaders. Moreover, he has three Olympic Gold medals under his belt.

It all started for Melo in June 2003, when he was drafted third overall by the Denver Nuggets. But before all the fame and recognition, Carmelo was just a little boy growing up in Red Hook, Brooklyn. In a recent appearance on The Why with Dwyane Wade podcast, he sits down with good friend D Wade and delves into his childhood, revealing a nickname that most people today are unaware of.

Carmelo Anthony was known as Melo-Chello

As Melo describes it, he grew up in a community-oriented neighborhood, where people came together for everything. So, he grew up surrounded by people all the time. It was when he was growing up in Red Hook that he got himself a new nickname. “I was called, my name was ‘Chello’,” he tells Wade. “Nobody knows that. That was my name in Red Hook. Everybody call me Chello… I guess it was Melo-Chello.” Carmelo attributes this name to the hip-hop culture during the time, “Hip-hop was big back then so they call me Chello.”

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Apart from that, Melo admits that he never really understood where the nickname came from. Hilariously, he also reveals that if people go to Red Hook and speak of him as Melo, the residents will raise their eyebrows because, as he puts it, “I was Chello to people in Red Hook.” When he turned eight, Melo moved to Baltimore with his family where he got another nickname.

Melo was quite the artist

Life in Baltimore was different, as Melo admits he got into graffiti and art. Unsurprisingly, he used to draw sneakers and cartoon characters on school desks which would often get him into trouble. It was around this time when he got the nickname ‘Little New York,’ owing to the boom of graffiti culture in New York.

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Growing up in closely knitted communities worked well in his favor because according to Melo, it was where he derived his competitive spirit from. He translated this passion to the hardwood in the big league, becoming one of the best shooters in its history. Melo retired with career averages of 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists.

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What is your favorite Melo Anthony moment on the court? Let us know in the comments below!