As he took the stage at the JMA Wireless Dome Sunday to , Carmelo Anthony described to graduates how it was a “full-circle moment.”
“Standing here in this Dome, this place, where I once played, sweat, dreamt, won and grew is very surreal for myself,” Anthony said. “This building was my launchpad for my life.”
Carmelo Anthony encouraged the Class of 2025 to “take that Orange spirit into the world. Be bold. Be kind. Be relentless. Live with a purpose. Give back. Honor your roots. Chase your dreams,” during his Commencement address. (Photo by Amy Manley)
The Dome, where he played a standout season with the Orange men’s basketball program, leading to the national championship in 2003, propelled him into his successful career as a professional basketball player, entrepreneur, philanthropist and media personality.
“Twenty-two years later, to return here, not in a jersey but on the stage speaking to you, the class of 2025, it feels like life has come all the way around,” Anthony said.
On the same stage where Anthony starred as a ϲ student-athlete, Anthony urged the Class of 2025 to follow in the footsteps of previous graduates and make their own mark on the world as thinkers, doers, leaders and changemakers.
Carmelo Anthony urged the graduates to make their own mark on the world as thinkers, doers, leaders and changemakers. (Photo by Amy Manley)
“Take that Orange spirit into the world. Be bold. Be kind. Be relentless. Live with a purpose. Give back. Honor your roots. Chase your dreams. And don’t be afraid to rewrite the script as you go,” Anthony told the approximately 6,900 graduating students.
“This is your time,” he said. “This is your launch pad.”
Anthony is one of the University’s most prolific former student-athletes and one of the greatest scorers in the history of the National Basketball Association. A member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Anthony played 19 seasons in the NBA after his one season with the Orange. He was a 10-time NBA All-Star, won three Olympic gold medals with the U.S. men’s national basketball team, and was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025 earlier this spring.
But despite his impressive resume, Anthony emphasized to the graduating class that he dealt with his fair share of hardships. When faced with adversity, Anthony overcame his obstacles, and he encouraged the Class of 2025 to pick themselves up when they fail, and to never give up in the pursuit of their passions.
“Your path won’t be a straight line, and that’s okay,” said Anthony, who in 2017 received the Chancellor’s Medal for Philanthropy in honor of his extraordinary contributions to the University and the community.
“You can evolve again and again, as long as you keep chasing what sets your soul on fire,” Anthony said. “But as you chase your dreams, don’t forget where you came from and don’t forget the people who helped get you there.”
Later this fall, Anthony’s son, Kiyan Anthony, will follow in his father’s footsteps as a member of the Orange men’s basketball program.
The opportunity to watch Kiyan walk the same halls on campus, wear the same Orange and play basketball in the same Dome is “one of the proudest moments of my life,” Anthony said. “But it’s not just about following in my footsteps, it’s about watching him create his own story.”
When it came to their own stories, Anthony told the graduates that “the seeds you plant today can grow far beyond what you imagined,” while reminding the Class of 2025 to use their degrees to better their communities.
“What’s the point of success if you’re not using it to lift others?” Anthony said. “Carry the Orange with you because the Orange spirit is real. It’s grit. It’s passion. It’s pride. It’s knowing how to rise when things get hard. It’s loyalty and it’s heart.”
Carmelo Anthony receives a warm welcome from the Class of 2025 before the University’s Commencement exercises Sunday morning inside the JMA Wireless Dome. (Photo by Amy Manley)
