Cole Anthony

American basketball player (born 2000)

Cole Anthony
Anthony with Orlando Magic in 2021
No. 50 – Orlando Magic
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-05-15) May 15, 2000 (age 23)
Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeNorth Carolina (2019–2020)
NBA draft2020: 1st round, 15th overall pick
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Playing career2020–present
Career history
2020–presentOrlando Magic
Career highlights and awards
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at NBA.com
Stats Edit this at Wikidata at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing the  United States
FIBA Americas U18 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2018 Canada National team

Cole Hinton Anthony (born May 15, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) and 185 pounds (84 kilograms), he plays the point guard position.

The son of Greg Anthony, who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he grew up in Manhattan, New York and attended Archbishop Molloy High School before transferring to Oak Hill Academy for his final year. He was rated a consensus five-star recruit and the best point guard in the 2019 class. As a senior, he earned USA Today All-USA first team honors and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the McDonald's All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit. In his freshman season at North Carolina, Anthony earned third-team All-ACC accolades despite missing six weeks due to injury.

In 2018, Anthony led the United States to a gold medal and was named to the all-tournament team at the FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario.

Early life

Anthony was born in Portland, Oregon, where his father, Greg Anthony, was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. His umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck at birth, affecting his heart rate at the time but not leading to further complications.[1] As a toddler, Anthony's family moved to Manhattan, where he grew up in a penthouse.[2] Even though he came from a wealthy family, Anthony's parents insisted on raising him with hard-working values. He later commented, "They don't hand anything to me in life. What they do hand to me is knowledge."[3]

Anthony first played baseball, a sport his father initially thought he would pursue,[4] but decided to focus on basketball in fifth grade.[1] In his childhood, he worked with private basketball trainers and played pick-up games at local parks, seeking out older opponents.[2][5] From a young age, Anthony was coached by Steve Harris, who mentored NBA player Kemba Walker and was a prominent Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) figure in New York.[5] When he was 11 years old, he appeared in Little Ballers, a 2013 Nickelodeon documentary film directed by his mother, Crystal McCrary.[3] The film featured Anthony's New York-based AAU team, New Heights.[6]

High school career

In his first three years of high school, Anthony played basketball for Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, New York. He was the first freshman to immediately start at point guard for Molloy. Christ the King Regional High School head coach Joe Arbitello called Anthony "the best point guard I've seen since Stephon Marbury at that age."[7] Anthony averaged 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and garnered All-Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Class AA second team recognition.[8]

As a sophomore, Anthony led Molloy to the CHSAA Class AA city championship finals, where his team was upset by Cardinal Hayes High School.[9] He recorded a season-high 31 points in a win over Iona Prep in December 2016.[10] Anthony averaged 20.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game and was named to the All-CHSAA Class AA first team with teammate, junior Moses Brown.[11] In June 2017, he played for the PSA Cardinals at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), a noted amateur circuit, and was named Defensive Player of the Year after leading all players in steals.[12]

In his junior season, Anthony and Brown formed one of the top duos in high school basketball and Molloy's history.[13][14] As team co-captain, Anthony averaged a league-high 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He was named All-CHSAA Class AA first team, USA Today All-USA third team, and MaxPreps Junior All-American third team.[15][16][17] He scored a season-best 37 points against John Marshall High School at the City of Palms Classic in December 2017.[18] In July 2018, Anthony won the most valuable player (MVP) award with the PSA Cardinals in the Nike EYBL after averaging 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over 16 games.[19]

On July 28, 2018, Anthony announced that he would transfer to Oak Hill Academy for his senior year. The high school, located in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, is known for their decorated basketball program.[20] He joined the team with Kofi Cockburn, another highly regarded prospect in the 2019 class.[21] Entering the season, Oak Hill was widely considered one of the best high school teams in the country.[22][23] Anthony missed a few games of his senior season with an ankle injury.[24] He led his team to the semifinals of the GEICO High School Nationals.[25] Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, leading Oak Hill to a 31–5 record, and became the first player in school history to average a triple-double.[26] He earned spots on the USA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American third team.[27][28] Anthony was recognized as Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year for his success in both basketball and academics.[26] He was named MVP of three prestigious high school all-star games: the McDonald's All-American Game, where he had 14 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, and the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic.[29][30][31]

Recruiting

Anthony was considered one of the top recruits in the 2019 class since his sophomore season in high school.[32] On April 23, 2019, Anthony committed to play college basketball for North Carolina. His other top choices were Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Oregon.[33] By the end of his high school career, he was by consensus a five-star recruit, top-five player, and the number one point guard in his class.[34][35][36] ESPN ranked him as the second-best player in the class.[34]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Cole Anthony
PG 		New York City, NY Oak Hill Academy (VA) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) Apr 23, 2019 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:5/5 stars   247Sports:5/5 stars    ESPN:5/5 stars   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 4  247Sports: 3  ESPN: 2
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "North Carolina 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  • "2019 North Carolina Tar Heels Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.

College career

Anthony sits on the North Carolina bench with a knee injury in January 2020.

On November 6, 2019, in his regular-season debut for North Carolina, Anthony had 34 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists to lead his team to a 76–65 victory over Notre Dame.[37] During the game, he surpassed the program record for most points in a freshman season debut, previously held by Rashad McCants since 2002, and set the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record for points in a freshman season debut, previously held by Duke's RJ Barrett since 2018.[38] On November 11, Anthony was named ACC Player and Freshman of the Week after averaging 27 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4 assists in wins over Notre Dame and UNC Wilmington.[39] On November 15, he scored a team-high 28 points in a 77–61 win over Gardner–Webb to become the first freshman in program history to score at least 20 points in his first three games.[40]

On December 17, it was announced that Anthony was expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery for a partially torn meniscus in his right knee.[41] He returned in a 71–70 loss to Boston College on February 1, 2020, leading all scorers with 26 points and recording 14 free throws, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.[42] On February 8, Anthony had 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 98–96 overtime loss to seventh-ranked Duke.[43] A week later, in a game against Virginia, he fell to the floor and began gushing blood from his head after being struck by an opposing player's elbow. He left the game for three minutes before returning with a bandage over his right eyebrow.[44] On March 2, Anthony was recognized as ACC Freshman of the Week a second time after averaging 22 points, six assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in victories over NC State and Syracuse.[45] At the conclusion of the regular season, he earned third-team All-ACC and the ACC All-Freshman Team honors.[46] As a freshman, Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game in 22 appearances.[47] His team finished with a 14–19 record, its first losing season under head coach Roy Williams.[48] On April 17, 2020, Anthony declared for the 2020 NBA draft.[49]

Professional career

Orlando Magic (2020–present)

Anthony was selected by the Orlando Magic with the 15th pick of the first round of the 2020 NBA draft.[50] On November 21, 2020, the Magic announced that they had signed Anthony.[51]

On January 20, 2021, Anthony put up 13 points, alongside a game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer in a 97–96 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.[52] On May 1, 2021, he posted a then career-high 26 points along with a game-winning three-pointer with 0.1 seconds remaining to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.[53] On May 16, 2021, Anthony became the first Magic rookie to score 30-plus points since Victor Oladipo tallied 30 on February 21, 2014, against the New York Knicks and it was the fifth-highest-scoring performance by a rookie in team history. Anthony concluded his rookie campaign with four 20-plus-point games, 19 double-digit-scoring games in Orlando's last 22 contests and two game-winning three-point buzzer-beaters.[54]

During the first few months of the 2021–22 NBA season, Anthony was discussed as a Most Improved Player award candidate.[55][56]

On October 26, 2022, Anthony was sidelined with a right internal oblique muscle injury.[57] On December 29, he was suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to coming off the bench during an altercation in a game against the Detroit Pistons the day before.[58]

On October 23, 2023, Anthony signed a three-year, $39 million extension with the Magic.[59]

National team career

Anthony played for the United States at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in St. Catharines, Ontario. In the final, he scored a team-high 18 points in a 113–74 win over Canada to win the gold medal.[60] After averaging 14.3 points and 4.2 assists per game,[61] he was named to the all-tournament team.[62] Anthony took part in the USA Basketball men's junior national team October minicamp in 2016 and 2018.[63]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2020–21 Orlando 47 34 27.1 .397 .337 .832 4.7 4.1 .6 .4 12.9
2021–22 Orlando 65 65 31.7 .391 .338 .854 5.4 5.7 .7 .3 16.3
2022–23 Orlando 60 4 25.9 .454 .364 .894 4.8 3.9 .6 .5 13.0
2023–24 Orlando 81 0 22.4 .435 .338 .826 3.8 2.9 .8 .5 11.6
Career 253 103 26.5 .418 .343 .851 4.6 4.1 .7 .4 13.4

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019–20 North Carolina 22 20 34.9 .380 .348 .750 5.7 4.0 1.3 .3 18.5

Personal life

Anthony with his father, Greg, during the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

Anthony is the son of Greg Anthony and Crystal McCrary and the stepson of Raymond McGuire. Greg Anthony was a member of the 1989–90 UNLV national championship team and played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 seasons, before joining NBA TV and Turner Sports as an analyst and broadcaster.[3][64] Crystal McCrary worked as a lawyer before becoming an author and filmmaker. McGuire is a Wall Street banking executive who ran in the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City.[65][66]

References

  1. ^ a b Spears, Marc J. (April 22, 2019). "Ex-NBA player Greg Anthony's heralded son, Cole, to make waves in college basketball". Andscape. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  2. ^ a b O'Donnell, Ricky (April 19, 2019). "Cole Anthony is built for greatness". SB Nation. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Dauster, Rob (November 6, 2019). "Rising Son: Cole Anthony remains grounded as he follows his father's footsteps". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
  4. ^ Hale, David M. (November 6, 2019). "Wired like Kobe and MJ: Cole Anthony is the freshman you need to know". ESPN. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  5. ^ a b Pina, Michael (October 23, 2017). "Cole Anthony Wants to Revolutionize Basketball (And Play Zelda)". Vice. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  6. ^ Parks, Chanel (December 6, 2017). "'Little Ballers' Documentary Teaches Us That Black Boys Aren't Monolithic". HuffPost. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  7. ^ Braziller, Zach (January 23, 2016). "'Best since Marbury': Young face of NY HS hoops is Greg Anthony's son". New York Post. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  8. ^ Mancari, Jim (March 30, 2016). "The Tablet's All-Star Boys' HS Hoops Team". The Tablet. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  9. ^ Libert, Mike (March 12, 2017). "Hayes Shocks Molloy; Wins CHSAA "AA" Championship". Rivals.com. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  10. ^ Lawless, Pat (December 24, 2016). "Cole Anthony leads team to victory in competitive NYC match up". MADE Hoops. Archived from the original on June 22, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  11. ^ Mancari, Jim (March 29, 2017). "The Tablet's Boys' HS All-Star Basketball Team". The Tablet. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
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  13. ^ Engel, Matt (January 26, 2018). "Moses Brown, Cole Anthony give Archbishop Molloy highest expectations". New York Daily News.
  14. ^ "Cole Anthony & Moses Brown Are The Best Duo In HS Basketball". Slam. December 14, 2017.
  15. ^ Mancari, Jim (March 22, 2018). "Boys' High School Basketball All Stars". The Tablet. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
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  40. ^ "Search Results Web results UNC vs. Gardner-Webb Postgame Notes". University of North Carolina Athletics. November 16, 2019. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
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  42. ^ Cobb, David (February 1, 2020). "Cole Anthony's impressive return ends in painful fashion for North Carolina against Boston College". CBS Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  43. ^ "Jones, Moore help No. 7 Duke top rival UNC 98-96 in OT". ESPN. Associated Press. February 8, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
  44. ^ Stepien, Garrett (February 15, 2020). "Cole Anthony gushing blood after blow to head". 247Sports. Retrieved March 24, 2020.
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  47. ^ Schuster, Blake (March 24, 2020). "UNC's Cole Anthony Will Delay NBA Draft Decision Because of Coronavirus". Bleacher Report. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
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  52. ^ Ibarrola, Kriel (January 20, 2021). "Cole Anthony drains buzzer-beating shot in Magic win after terrible Timberwolves missed free throws". ClutchPoints. Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  53. ^ Clapp, Matt (May 2, 2021). "Magic's Cole Anthony nails buzzer-beating 3 to take down Grizzlies, has great postgame interview". The Comeback. Archived from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2021.
  54. ^ Cohen, Josh (May 16, 2021). "Cole Anthony Scores 37 in Magic's Season Finale". NBA. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
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  56. ^ Jensen, Morten Stig (November 9, 2021). "Orlando Magic Guard Cole Anthony Has Arrived, And It's Time We Started Paying Attention". forbes.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  57. ^ "Magic G Cole Anthony (oblique) out indefinitely". National Post. Reuters. October 27, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  58. ^ "NBA announces suspensions from Pistons-Magic game". NBA.com. December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
  59. ^ Bontemps, Tim (October 23, 2023). "Magic agree to 3-year, $39 million extension with Cole Anthony". ESPN. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  60. ^ "USA Men's U18 Team Brings Home Gold, Downs Canada 113-74". USA Basketball. June 16, 2018. Archived from the original on June 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  61. ^ "Cole Anthony (USA)'s profile". FIBA. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  62. ^ "USA claim the FIBA U18 Americas 2018 Championship". Sporting News. June 19, 2018. Archived from the original on November 30, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2018.
  63. ^ "Cole Anthony". USA Basketball. February 12, 2019. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
  64. ^ "Greg Anthony Stats". Basketball Reference. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  65. ^ Jackson, Charreah K. (February 25, 2015). "'Little Ballers' Director On Making Dollars from Your Ideas". Essence. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  66. ^ Armstrong, Kevin. "Cole Anthony Is Full of Fire". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 6, 2021.

External links

  • Career statistics and player information from NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata and Basketball-Reference.com Edit this at Wikidata
  • North Carolina Tar Heels bio
  • USA Basketball bio
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