This week on his Youtube show, ‘What’s in your Glass, Trail Blazers veteran Carmelo Anthony explained the key ingredient for his continued success in the NBA for 17 years: “Reinventing yourself.”
Yep, no argument there. Melo has done just that.
‘Hoodie Melo’ has evolved into ‘Skinny Melo’ and it seems to be one of the biggest talking points of the NBA’s restart.
“I can definitely tell a difference,” Melo said of his new physique.
After the Trail Blazers finished up their practice Friday, Anthony went into more detail about how his strict diet during quarantine was a necessity, but nothing out of the order for him.
“You come in healthy, that’s the most important thing for me. I’m healthy. I’m in shape – and that was my biggest goal,” Melo said. “For me, I had an opportunity to kind of play with some things and play with my diet and my play with my workouts and training.”
[Listen to the latest Talkin’ Blazers Podcast with hosts NBA Champion Channing Frye and Emmy Award winner Dan Sheldon].
Having a year off from basketball before signing with Portland back in Nov. gave Melo a leg up on other NBA players who have never gone through self-isolation like they had to during the pandemic.
The Trail Blazers veteran wing was officially listed at 6’8″ and 238 pounds for the 2019-20 season.
But would you believe he really hasn’t lost that much weight despite looking at the photos and videos that are coming out of the bubble?
Believe it or not, I think I only lost probably five pounds or something like that, but I think it’s just redistributing it. The body fat that’s cut, it’s kind of what you’re seeing, but as far as my weight it’s kind of still the same. I always fluctuate within three or four pounds. — Veteran Carmelo Anthony
“It was really just me focusing in and locking in on my dieting, getting my mental right, as well as my physical,” Melo added.
While playing in 1,114 NBA career games, Anthony has certainly been able to reinvent himself, but he has also made sure not to always disclose his formula for success.
“I can’t give you that secret,” Melo said of his quarantine diet, but he added, “it was a very an intense diet, healthy diet, a holistic — I had a holistic plan going these last couple of months so those things were very instrumental to what you guys are seeing right now.”
And this is nothing new for future Hall of Famer.
He just has never been featured in an NBA bubble in the summer like he is now with pictures and videos galore.
“A lot of offseasons I get like this,” Melo explained. “It’s just now you guys are seeing it, whereas in the summer time you guys wouldn’t be able to see me because I’d be wherever I’m at just training and working out. You guys may see me pictures here and there, but for the most part this happens often. I get into this mode in my offseason.
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For the past three seasons, while with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and then a short stint with the Houston Rockets, and now this season with the Blazers, Melo has played a majority of his minutes at power forward.
From 2014-2017, the last time Melo played consistently at the three, he averaged 22.6 points and 6.8 rebounds while with the Knicks.
When Blazers Coach Terry Stotts informed Anthony during the NBA’s layoff that Portland’s starting small forward Trevor Ariza would not be returning for the NBA restart, Melo knew then that the dedication to his diet and training was even more important.
I had that in the back of my mind. Once coach told me the position that I’ll be switching back to the three, I kind of challenged myself to get down to that weight where I feel comfortable playing the three, and comfortable running around and utilizing things that I can utilize with different things from playing the three. So, that was also a big motivation for me to come back at that exact weight or around that weight, 230, 235 — something I haven’t seen, 230, 235 since earlier in my career, so now it puts me back in the mindset of that from a confidence standpoint, knowing that I was able to get back to that. On the court, I feel good… I feel healthy. I have a lot of clarity now. All of that was my goal. — Carmelo Anthony
This season while starting at the four for the Blazers in 50 games played, Melo averaged 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds, while averaging 32.5 minutes per game.
But now with his more slender build along with how good he feels about his conditioning mixed in with Coach Stotts’ game plan to treat Portland’s eight ‘regular season’ games like playoff games, Melo will undoubtedly see his minutes increase in his new, but familiar role.
Stay tuned for what the next Melo will be. The 36-year-old said he would keep us posted on what he thinks ‘Skinny Melo’ will develop into next.
“Every summer is a different name for me. This summer it’s ‘Skinny Melo…’ It’s ‘Hoodie Melo, it’s ‘USA Melo,’ there’s so many different Melo’s out there, but at the end of the day, I’m me. I knew how important this was for us coming back and how locked in we had to be.”
We are all eager to see what ‘Skinny Melo’ and the rest of the Trail Blazers will accomplish when they tip-off the restart against Memphis on July 31 on NBCSNW.
Carmelo Anthony won’t give away his diet secrets, but is eager to play SF again originally appeared on NBC Sports Northwest
