We know Carmelo Anthony for the remarkable 19 years he dedicated to the NBA. However, over two decades ago, he had a different identity. A promising and talented freshman at Syracuse University. Now, looking back at those days, the 10x NBA All-Star reflects on how once he used his fame to weather a dangerous snowstorm.

Syracuse.com shared some of the untold stories from the ‘Will to Win’ documentary about the Orange’s 2003 NCAA title run. It seems the team’s coaches wanted Carmelo Anthony to bond with the rest of the team and asked him to stop bringing his car to the campus. The plan was to teach him teamwork by making him rely on his teammates for car rides. 

Melo, who wasn’t impressed by the idea because of the extreme cold, decided to bring his car, a Chrysler Concorde, to Syracuse. It was in December of 2002, and Coach Jim Boeheim had scheduled a practice for 7 p.m. So, despite being warned by his mother, Anthony chose to drive to Syracuse but got stuck in a blizzard in Scranton.

A nearby hotel also refused to shelter him as he didn’t have the money to pay them back. The only thing he had with him was his Syracuse ID. “I have no money. I have my permit and I had my school ID,” explained Carmelo Anthony. “Please let me just stay on the couch. I can’t be on the road,” he pleaded to the front desk clerk.

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Fortunately, he found a newspaper. Syracuse had just recently played a game and the cover of the newspaper had a photo of Melo. Showing the newspaper and his ID to the clerk, Anthony tried to negotiate that he would pay him back. “I’m like, listen, that’s me. I’ll pay you back; just let me get a room. Please,” Anthony said. While the clerk was reluctant at first, he let him stay after knowing about his identity. After all, Melo was part of the team which went on to win the national championship.

Carmelo Anthony talks about his 2003 NCAA championship team

After spending the night at the hotel, Melo left early the next morning for Syracuse and got scolded by his coach Jim Boeheim for missing practice. The same coach who led the team toward the win in 2003. Even 21 years after their victory, the emotions are still the same. The ‘Will to Win’ documentary chronicled a part of their journey, other parts remain tightly held in the players’ hearts. This was one of those heartwarming stories. The coach’s efforts to create a bond among the players and Melo’s dedication are the little contributions to Syracuse’s historic win.

“We was a good team but I didn’t think we were going to be that good. To go 17-0 at home, I never lost in the Carrier Dome. People don’t talk about that enough. That’s hard to do. This is when the Big East was poppin’ at that point in time,” Carmelo Anthony later said in an episode of ‘All The Smoke’ podcast. Coach Boeheim was also the one who encouraged the New York Knicks legend to leave Syracuse and enter the 2003 NBA Draft.

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And to think, a blizzard almost got in the way of a Hall of Fame career. What do you think of Melo’s bizarre Scranton survival story? Let us know in the comments section below.

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