Who are Carmelo Anthony’s parents? What we know as NBA star honors Puerto Rican Heritage during HOF speech

Carmelo Anthony, who was recently honored at the 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame, reflected on his heritage and difficult journey as he accepted the prestigious honor. Anthony, who is the child of Carmelo Iriarte and Mary Anthony, spoke about his father and mother, thanking them for their sacrifices and dedication in shaping the path that brought him to this moment. He said:

"To my father, Carmelo Iriarte, Boricua. You left this world too soon, but you never left me. Your name is my name. Your spirit walks with me in every step I take.You were a poet, an activist, a fighter. You taught me without even knowing that words matter, that vision matters. Even in your absence, you gave me strength. And in silence you gave me purpose."

He further added:

“And though I didn’t get to grow with you, I grew because of you. You gave me the first example of what it meant to carry fire and still speak with grace. Your blood runs in mine. Your dream lives through me. This Hall of Fame jacket that I received – I’m not wearing it tonight – I wear it for the both of us."

Talking about his mother, who was sitting in the crowd, visibly emotional as Carmelo Anthony made his speech, during which he said:

"My mother was the first one to show me what sacrifice looks like: no spotlight, no praise, just love in its purest form. You’re the reason I’m standing here, Mom. The sacrifices, the sacrifices you made, the tears you held back, the strength you showed, I felt it every time I laced up my sneakers."

More about Carmelo Anthony and his parents, as the Ten-Time All-Star honors them during his Basketball Hall of Fame induction

Carmelo Anthony was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 29, 1984, as the youngest child of Carmelo Iriarte and Mary Anthony. Anthony's father, who was a civil rights activist, was himself born in Manhattan to parents of mixed heritage.

According to BleuMag, his father, who had Puerto Rican heritage along with Spanish, Indigenous, and Spanish ancestry, was a member of the revolutionary civil rights group, the Young Lords, and was associated with their New York chapter, founded in 1969. The group, which fought for the rights of marginalized communities, was originally founded by José "Cha Cha" Jiménez in 1959. Carmelo Iriarte passed away from cancer in 1986, when Carmelo Anthony was just two years old.

In a 2012 interview with ESPN, Anthony spoke about his father and said:

"[My dad] wrote poetry. I have a book full of poems that he wrote. The book is too heavy to carry around, so I leave it in my office, but I always try to go back and read them."

After this, the three-time Olympic gold medalist and his siblings were raised solely by their mother, who worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. Mary Anthony, who is African American, was born in Bishopville, South Carolina, and was a basketball player in high school. When the then-future Los Angeles Lakers player was eight years old, his family moved to Baltimore, where young Carmelo Anthony grew up in a tough neighborhood.

During the Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony that took place on September 6, Carmelo Anthony also reflected on the difficult circumstances of his upbringing and how he now carries the voices of those from the past with him. He said:

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"Tonight, I don’t just step into the Hall of Fame. I carry with me the echoes of every voice that ever told me I couldn’t. I walk with the shadows of every alley, every cracked court, every empty plate. I stand for the dreamers, the doubted, the dismissed, for every soul trapped in a place where I broke free from."

In his speech, Carmelo Anthony also talked about his two children, whom he shares with ex-wife, Alani "La La" Vazquez, saying that becoming their father was what ultimately saved him.

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