Former Trail Blazer Carmelo Anthony Named FIBA World Cup Global Ambassador

Former Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony is set to be announced as the third global ambassador for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Gerry Ramos of SPIN.ph reports. Anthony joins Luis Scola and Pau Gasol as ambassadors for the tournament.

A top Filipino basketball official confirmed Anthony is the third FIBA Global Ambassador for this year’s World Cup, saying the official announcement will not be made until noon on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The FIBA World Cup will take place this summer, from August 25 to September 10.

Initial rumors of Anthony’s ambassadorship were sparked by his arrival in Manila on Thursday, according to Andrei de Guzman of TalkBasket.net. Photos of the 10x NBA All-Star touring the city’s historic locations were also circulated on social media.

Anthony, 38, is among the most conspicuous NBA free agents on the market to date, and has been the subject of speculation surrounding the Phoenix Suns organization since positive comments from point guard Chris Paul resurfaced over NBA All-Star weekend.

“Melo is one of the best to ever to play the game. I’m obviously biased and hope he’s in the league soon because somebody of that caliber, with that ability, with the heart that he has, and the stuff he’s done for the game — he should be able to walk off the court when he’s ready.”

Having not played yet this season, it is unclear whether or not Anthony will find an NBA home. He last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2021-22 season, where he averaged 13.3 points per game off the bench. Although his offensive production remains viable, his absence on defense has long been a source of concern.