“Being Genius Is Not Enough, It Takes Courage To Change People’s Hearts.” Remember this fine line from Green Book? This quote, actually, the entire movie, pushes us to rethink how we view people’s lives. Back in that Jim Crow era, changing hearts wasn’t just hard, it was next to impossible, especially for people of color. But ‘Tony Lip’ did it, and so did the NBA. Sure, they were late to join, but they made it happen eventually. And today marks the 75th anniversary of that revolutionary step, and the world’s celebrating it. Even Carmelo Anthony just joined the conversation.
Nat ‘Sweetwater’ Clifton, Chuck Cooper, and Earl Lloyd, these legends changed the course of the game forever. Clifton made history when the Knicks bought his contract from the Harlem Globetrotters in May 1950. First Black man to officially land an NBA deal. Big time. Then came Chuck Cooper. The Celtics grabbed him with the 13th pick in the 1950 draft, making him the league’s first Black draftee. And don’t sleep on Earl Lloyd. Washington picked him 101st that year. Now, 75 years later, the NBA’s finally giving this moment its flowers. They’re officially marking April 25, 1950, as a game-changing anniversary. And guess who just jumped into the conversation? Carmelo Anthony himself, showing love to the legends who paved the way.
Before Carmelo chimed in, NBPA president and Pelicans guard CJ McCollum had already shown love “I am excited about the fact that we are going to honor the legacy, the courage and determination of these pioneers and also many players that have come after them,” CJ said. Then came Melo, giving his flowers too. On his recent Instagram story, Carmelo shared a thumbnail pic featuring those three legends. That image was originally posted by Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas himself. One by one, the NBA family’s stepping up to salute the guys who made it all possible. And honestly, it’s about time.
In that story, Carmelo wrote, “75 years of pushing the game forward
.” Indeed, they deserve it. Without them, there’s no Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, or LeBron James – none of the icons we grew up watching. So yeah, Melo’s getting his flowers, but he is not alone on this journey. Dwyane Wade and the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also sent their flowers to the legends via their Instagram.
Dwyane Wade shared the same picture, writing, “HISTORY! S/o to those who paved the way
” And Kareem also shared the post on his Instagram post with a long caption that stole the hearts of millions. Kareem wrote, “I’m grateful that, in a time when diversity is being ignored and villainized, the NBA is standing tall (the only way they can stand) in celebrating the men who endured so much adversity to make it possible for players like me, Jordan, Magic, Kobe, and LeBron to have an easier road to success than they did.”
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Dwyane Wade, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Carmelo Anthony, one by one, the legends are showing their love for the pioneers who made this league what it is today. And there will be a lot more to come. But these guys aren’t just paying respect to the OGs. They also never shy away from giving credit where it’s due. Just like Carmelo did with Cade Cunningham.
Carmelo Anthony gives a nod to Cade Cunningham after his dominance in game two vs. Knicks
When a superstar sees another superstar shine, they know what’s up, even if it’s against their former squad. Cade Cunningham was solid in Game 1 against the New York Knicks, but in Game 2, he put on a show that even Carmelo Anthony couldn’t ignore. Cunningham dropped 33 points and 12 assists in Detroit’s 100-94 win, hitting 11 of 21 shots from the field. He also added remarkably three assists and two steals to his stat line.
On his 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, Carmelo Anthony gave major respect to Cunningham for putting the Knicks down in that game. He wasn’t exactly thrilled with the outcome, but Carmelo knows that Cade’s a young monster in this league. Carmelo said, “I’ve always said I have wanted to work with Cade. I don’t know if he heard that or not, but I would love to work with him. Even seeing him last night … he got everything.”
Believe me, there’s something special about seeing a legend like Melo show love to a young star like Cunningham. It’s the passing of the torch, and it’s beautiful to watch.
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