Making it to the league isn’t the end goal. Former NBA pro Carmelo Anthony knows this well. He was always driven throughout his career. Just one simple limitation could have changed everything. In the latest episode of One Shot: Overtime Elite, the New York Knicks legend shared the learnings from his experiences with young players, warning them about the challenges they’ll face as they try their luck and grit in the game.

To encourage the newest participants of the show, Melo opened up about the real struggle, which is staying relevant in a fiercely competitive environment. “OTE isn’t easy. You have got NBA scouts that gonna be here every single day. You got colleges that’s going to be in here every single day. Y’all going to be scrutinized. Y’all going to be recruited. Y’all going to be talked bad about but they going to see who really want that next level,” Melo shared.

From being cut from his high school team to reaching the top of the NBA, Melo’s journey was far from easy. Sports was always his passion, but when he was cut from his high school team during his freshman year due to his height, Melo found a new motivation to improve and compete. By sophomore year, he’d grown four inches and sharpened his skills which saw him become the star. “thought I was going to die, literally,” Anthony had said. So he knows a thing or two about the process to get to where these young players want to be.

This urges him to admit, it is not just about basketball. It is the efforts that go behind, helping them stand out from the crowd.

“Everybody here wants to make the league. I know that. That’s the goal. We want to get to the league. It’s 15 spots on 30 teams. So you got to be special to get out there. For one, to make the team. For two, to prove to the team that you can be out there and play. That’s the toughest part that people don’t understand. It ain’t the basketball. It’s the grind. The grind make you quit because if you can’t handle this, don’t even do it,” he warned. 

Bill Russell and Michael Jordan were two others who relate to the experience, being cut off from their varsity teams. And well, hard work, or grinding, as Melo puts it, was the answer for them too. “I’d close my eyes and see that list in the locker room without my name on it. That usually got me going again,” Jordan had admitted. And we know how that turned out. For all three of them.

So Melo makes it a point to let the following generations know, putting in the work and constantly striving for more is how they survive the competition. 

Carmelo Anthony had some advice for Paolo Banchero

The Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero luckily stumbled upon the NBA veterans Anthony and Kevin Durant during his rookie year. It was Banchero’s first All-Star break, and he found himself at the same event as the two seasoned players. He recalled how Melo and the Phoenix Suns veteran pulled him aside to share some advice.

Speaking on the DraftKings’ ‘Pardon My Take,’ Banchero said, “Basically, they were telling me, ‘I’m one of those guys. I just gotta stay hungry, just gotta stay in the gym.”

It was the motivation he needed at that time, and his career growth since has been impressive. Banchero went on to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award and had an incredible 2023-24 season, helping the Magic secure a playoff berth after four years of disappointment. 

His 50-point game was the season’s highlight! Just like Banchero, it’s likely that Melo’s words will inspire the young stars in OTE. This show follows a new generation of basketball players as they work hard to find their place in the pro league. Season 2 has already hit Amazon Prime for you to watch.