Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard headline 2025 Hall of Fame finalists

Carmelo Anthony: And maybe, looking back, I was young. I was young, trying to figure out my game, trying to figure it all out. I had to run the organization, I had to represent, and I also had to stay true to who I was. So I had any person like George—an older coach who had been across the block for a very long time—who was actually attempting to ship me a message. But when he had delivered that message in another way, I most likely would have obtained it in another way. Wanting again now, I’m like, “Rattling, he was saying some actual shit to me,” nevertheless it wasn’t the way in which you need to say it in that scenario. -via YouTube / February 13, 2025

Carmelo Anthony: Well, for me, it was like literature—staying in my books, staying in my lessons, really separating myself from the game of basketball. I’m like, “Yo, you know what?” I told my agent, Leon, at the time, “Lee, don’t have any teams call me. I don’t want to talk to any team. I’m just ready to walk away from this. The game doesn’t love me the way I love the game anymore. It’s time for me to go.” And that’s what I felt. So I’m like, “Let me simply separate myself from the sport. Don’t reply any calls from any groups.” As a result of the extra calls that got here in, the extra disrespected I felt. It was like, “Yo, the calls which are coming in, the gives which are coming in—what would you like me to return in and do? Nah, nah. No. Come on. You don’t need me. Come on.” -via YouTube / February 13, 2025

Dwight Howard on Kobe Bryant: Man, we flew collectively (from Dallas All-Star Weekend). We were on the same plane, and we didn’t even talk. I’m like, ‘Yo, my guy, it’s just me and you. We can’t even speak to each other?’ I’m like, ‘Nah, this ain’t right.’ It felt like a movie. It ain’t right. I’m saying, Kobe—this ain’t proper. What’s happening? For actual, like—he knew we have been teammates. Then after we received to the lockers, me and him have been purported to be subsequent to one another as a result of they put all of the teammates collectively. However he’s over right here, and I’m like, ‘Yo, that is loopy.’ I didn’t know what was happening. I didn’t know what was happening. -via YouTube / January 31, 2025