Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony, known for his artistic style on the court, is now an art collector who owns pieces by artists such as Ernie Barnes and Nelson Makamo. In 2022, he moved to a larger suburban home in New York to accommodate his growing collection, which includes works that reflect his cultural background and personal experiences. Anthony emphasizes quality over quantity and encourages others to take their time understanding art before making purchases.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
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same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Carmelo Anthony, an NBA Hall of Famer known for his basketball skills, has developed a significant art collection over the years. In 2022, Anthony moved from his New York City apartment to a suburban home to accommodate his growing collection of artworks by noted artists such as Ernie Barnes, Nelson Makamo, and Cryptik. While Anthony declined to provide an exact count of his pieces, he told TIME that he has stopped keeping track of the number. He emphasizes focusing on acquiring high-quality art rather than pursuing trends or quantity. His interest in art was sparked early during his childhood in Brooklyn and Baltimore, influenced by street graffiti and album covers.
Written for “NBA Career Retrospective” on 2026-09-17,
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Athletes often draw comparisons to artists, and basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony—who danced around defenses, innovated angles, and showed a delicate touch around the basket en route to scoring 28,289 points in his 19-year NBA career—counts as a master craftsman.
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who → draw → craftsman
So it’s only fitting that Anthony, like other professional athletes, is starting to make his mark as an art collector.
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Anthony → ’ → collector
Anthony—who owns works from the likes of Ernie Barnes, the former pro football player who went on to become a noted painter; South African portraitist Nelson Makamo; and the urban contemporary artist Cryptik—moved out of his New York City apartment into a suburban house in 2022 to give his vast collection more breathing space.
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who → own → space
How many pieces does he own?
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he → own → pieces
“I’ve stopped counting,” Anthony tells TIME.
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Anthony → stop → TIME
“I’m not one that goes out there to try to look for the trends, or to see what everybody else is doing.
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everybody → ’m → what
I’ve gotten more intentional on quality over quantity.”
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I → get → quantity
Anthony’s love for art came early, his taste shaped by the street graffiti and Earth, Wind & Fire album covers he noticed growing up in Brooklyn and Baltimore.
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he → come → Brooklyn
By the time he was drafted into the NBA in 2003, he was already familiar with Barnes, whose seminal 1976 work “The Sugar Shack,” depicting a joyous dance hall in the segregated South, had appeared on a Marvin Gaye album cover and in the credits of the 1970s hit sitcom Good Times.
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work → draft → sitcom
“How his artwork was implemented into the Black culture,” says Anthony, “was special to see.”
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Anthony → implement → culture
After Anthony joined the New York Knicks in 2011, his passion grew.
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passion → join → 2011
He listened to former players reminisce about traversing the SoHo art scene and collecting works by the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol.
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players → listen → Basquiat
Anthony started popping into art galleries on the road, and by the time he stopped playing in 2022, he’d amassed many of the works that now fill his home.
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that → start → home
In a busy post-NBA career (he’s also invested in wine, cannabis, apparel, and production companies), Anthony isn’t slowing down.
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Anthony → invest → wine
“Everybody is looking at you crazy,” he says.
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he → look → you
“‘Melo, what are you doing?’”
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you → do → what
With art, Anthony sees endless possibilities.
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Anthony → see → possibilities
He may attempt, at some point, to learn painting himself.
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He → attempt → painting
“The next step is to actually start to try to visualize stories and try it.”
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step → start → it
One day, he’d like to bring his collection to the public.
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he → like → public
Baltimore, where he moved when he was 8 years old.
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he → move → ?
“A lot of the art that I have comes from being emotionally attached to the city, and all things that I've been through,” says Anthony.
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Anthony → have → that
“To be able to start it there would mean a lot.”
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be → start → lot
The collector has advice for other athletes—or anyone, really—looking to take the art plunge.
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collector → have → plunge
“Art can be intimidating,” he says.
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he → say → ?
If you don't understand it right there, leave it and come back to it.
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you → understand → it
If it brings you back, then you know that's the piece.
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that → bring → you
That’s when you know it's genuine.”
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it → ’ → ?
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