Carmelo Anthony Once Offered to Cover Teammate’s Full Salary

NBA Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony’s reputation for generosity resurfaced this week after veteran reporter Ian Begley recounted a moment when the former New York Knicks star offered to pay a teammate’s “whole salary” to keep him on the roster.

In a recent interview, Begley, then covering the Knicks for ESPN, said Anthony stepped in unprompted when it appeared the club was preparing to waive forward Cleanthony Early in 2016.

“Carmelo said, ‘I’ll pay your whole salary.’ Like just as a teammate, as an NBA brother,” Begley recalled, adding that the gesture has shaped how he views Anthony beyond the court. “You talk about him as a basketball player, flaws, pros and cons, but just as a man and what he stands for, that will always stay with me.”

“Remember Cleanthony Early? He got caught up in something, a strip club, I don’t remember the details, but I think the Knicks were going to have to cut him. Carmelo said, ‘I’ll pay your whole salary.’ Like just as a teammate, as an NBA brother,” Begley stated.

He spoke about how that painted a positive picture of Anthony during Early’s time of need. The reporter acknowledged that, despite all the accolades bestowed upon Anthony, this offer stuck in his mind.

“That, to me, told me a lot about him, too, where he puts his energy. You can’t like… You talk about him as a basketball player, flaws, pros and cons, but just as a man and what he stands for, that will always stay with me,” Begley said.

Early’s NBA future was in doubt after he was robbed and shot in the knee outside a New York strip club in late 2015 while leaving in an Uber with his girlfriend. The incident sidelined him and threatened his place on the Knicks’ roster.

According to Begley, word of the team’s plans prompted Anthony’s offer to personally cover Early’s salary if that would prevent the cut.

Early later continued his career overseas, playing in Europe and the Middle East.

Anthony, a 10-time All-Star who led the Knicks to multiple playoff appearances and remains one of the NBA’s most prolific scorers, was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, an honor that, for those who witnessed moments like this, also underscores his stature as a teammate and leader.