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While it lasts Anthony may bolt, but at least he gave us one yearPosted: Sunday March 30, 2003 8:12 PMUpdated: Sunday March 30, 2003 11:31 PM
He climbed to the top of the ladder, cut down the net and saluted the crowd, one of those moments a college basketball player remembers forever. It was a scene Carmelo Anthony very easily could have been watching from a hotel room in some NBA city while killing time before a meaningless late-season game for a lottery-bound team. Thank goodness he was instead the participant. Amid this week’s Final Four buildup, some traditionalists will scoff at Syracuse star Anthony, viewing him as a “rent-a-player” who's using the Orangemen as a stopover on his way to NBA millions. Others would rather see freshmen ineligible altogether. Those who live in reality, however, watched Anthony’s dazzling 20-point, 10-rebound performance in Sunday’s Elite Eight upset of Oklahoma with a certain amount of appreciation.
After all, who knows how many of these signature moments we’ve been deprived of in recent tournaments? How many times might Kobe Bryant have climbed that ladder had he played even a couple of years in college? Perhaps Tracy McGrady could have delivered the type of epic Elite Eight performance Marquette’s Dwyane Wade treated us to against Kentucky. And what of LeBron James, the only current amateur more highly regarded than Anthony? One helped take Syracuse from the NIT to the Final Four in one year’s time. What if the other -- an Akron, Ohio, native -- could have done the same for his home-state Buckeyes? Yes, Anthony will be welcome at the Final Four, indeed. As will his three star-studded counterparts:
For a sport that’s been criticized in recent years for its waning star power, this could be a defining Final Four. It might not be the equivalent of Magic vs. Bird (1979), but by modern standards, it could be Jordan-Ewing-Drexler (’82). It certainly beats the pants off Mateen Cleaves-Joe Forte-Mark Vershaw (2000). Hopefully this will be just the beginning. The NBA is close to pushing through a much-overdue age minimum (20) that, after the initial inevitable flood of last-chance draft entrants, eventually should ensure that the Kobes and LeBrons of the world spend at least a couple of years in college. In the meantime, just enjoy the Anthonys. Stewart Mandel covers college sports for SI.com. Got a comment, question or scoop for Stewart? Click here. |
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