Just like most of us do not get to follow our childhood passion, no matter how great you do in your present, similarly, not every NBA star starts out dreaming of basketball stardom. In fact, many fall for another sport first. Michael Jordan famously left the NBA to chase a baseball dream. Allen Iverson also dominated on the football field in high school. Even LeBron James was a top football recruit. It turns out Carmelo Anthony belongs on that list, too. He wasn’t just a basketball kid: his heart first beat for baseball. But something pulled him away, and that’s what makes his story even more interesting.

Carmelo has always been candid about his past, even saying basketball wasn’t his childhood dream. In one interview, he explained he didn’t think reaching the NBA was realistic. “To be one out of 435 players [on NBA rosters in 2003] to come out every year and be a part of that fraternity, them numbers scare you,” he had said. He described how baseball gave him joy before basketball ever felt serious. Back then, it wasn’t about being great at hoops—it was just about having fun. “We played sports seasonal… My first love was actually baseball.” Basketball was around, but not what tugged at his heart.

Recently on his podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, Melo opened up even more while chatting with Spike Lee. He admitted, “I played baseball. That was my first love.” Talking about Little League and wanting to join his high school team, he added, “I played all the way up.” But the conditions weren’t right. “My high school team was a**, you know what I’m saying?” he laughed. Things got tough. “I ain’t had the bread to go buy cleats… I was playing in Kevin Johnson Converses. No lie, with the strap.” Baseball became more of a struggle than a passion.

Eventually, that fire for baseball dimmed. He admitted, “I’m not going to be as committed to that as I am to basketball.” Then, everything fell into place as he locked in for the NBA. But even then, it was not like he knew that he was going to go to the NBA. When Spike Lee asked him, “When did you know that you were going to the NBA?” Here’s what Melo had to say.

Even after winning it all with Syracuse, Melo wasn’t sold on the NBA. “Come out of high school?” he laughed. “I’m like… I’m not going—f*** out of here.” He wasn’t ready to be a late first-round pick. “I know what happens to 25th picks,” he said. He added, “Everybody else probably thought I was, but I didn’t see it in myself.” Well, eventually, after the championship, something clicked; he saw his shot and took it. From Baltimore’s rec centers to NBA arenas, Carmelo left his first love behind, but never forgot where it started.

How Baseball shaped Carmelo Anthony before the NBA lights

Did you ever imagine Carmelo Anthony dreaming of home runs instead of buzzer-beaters? It’s wild, right? A year ago, on Dwyane Wade’s podcast “The Why,” Carmelo said something that caught people off guard. Interestingly, he claimed the reason behind his love for the sport was his Puerto Rican heritage.

For Carmelo, baseball wasn’t just a hobby; it was part of the environment he grew up in. Puerto Rican culture holds baseball close, and growing up around that could’ve sparked his early obsession. The island has given the world legendary players, and for Carmelo, it was part of the air he breathed. Yet, is culture the only force behind a childhood dream? Or was it something even more personal than that?

It’s tempting to say his heritage led the way, but let’s not forget the power of personal drive. He truly started to love the sport, and him being so good in it, to the point that he even claimed, “I would say, at that point in time, I was better in baseball than basketball,” only further proves his passion for the sport.

However, despite not going for his first love, he claimed that he does not regret anything. In his words, “I don’t regret anything. But baseball was like the first time that I felt like, damn, I really love this.” It was just something about the sport that drew him in, that even he can’t explain.

So yeah, baseball was where it started. But isn’t it amazing how life leads us somewhere unexpected? Carmelo’s story shows how culture, memories, and choices all shape the road we take.