Baltimore's pride, Carmelo Anthony, celebrated the opening of his "House of Melo" exhibit at the Enoch Pratt Free Library yesterday, an interactive walk-through chronicling his journey from local hero to NBA stardom, with a sprinkle of cultural and social activism. The 10-time NBA All-Star and Hall of Famer, who is also a former West Baltimore resident, brought his story back to his roots, and CBS News Baltimore was on the scene to capture his ribbon-cutting ceremony. "I'm from five minutes away from here, right around the corner, so to be able to just come here, it's full circle, man, and see these people, see the city. See the city smiling again," Anthony conveyed.
Visitors at the free exhibit, running through December 20th, can expect to see not only Anthony’s rise to fame but also his positive off-the-court impact. This includes a full-size court with marks of his life's timeline, and even a milk-crate hoop he once used while honing his legendary jump shot. According to a WBALTV report, co-executive producer of the exhibit, D. Watkins explained, "We are from the street, and a lot of times we didn't have basketball courts, so we would get a milk crate," adding, "Carmelo's jump shot was so good because he mastered the crate before he actually got a chance to shoot inside of the basket."
While the fanfare included local students and key figures alike, it didn’t shy away from integrating personal narratives and contributions that made the exhibit possible. Mayor Scott honored D. Watkins, award-winning writer and Anthony's longtime stylist, and creative director Khalilah Beavers. Beavers, who shared her sentiments with CBS News Baltimore, said, "To be able to come here and work on this with Melo. It's just like a full circle moment," encapsulating the communal and collaborative spirit of the endeavor.
