Tuesday night was a near quarter century in the making and almost everyone dressed accordingly — almost.
Basketball fans ripped basketball legend Carmelo Anthony for dressing in overly casual attire for an analyst during the highly anticipated return of NBA on NBC after 23 years.
Anthony made his NBC analyst debut on the network’s pregame show ahead of the league’s season opener between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder — standing out like a sore thumb between Maria Taylor, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter.
While his fellow legendary NBA counterparts wore suits, he sported a black quarter-zip sweatshirt and sunglasses.
Fans took to social media to rib the Hall of Famer for treating Tuesday night in Oklahoma City like it was 7PM in Brooklyn – an episode of his acclaimed podcast, that is.
“Carmelo Anthony can’t class it up with appropriate attire for the tv presentation ?! Smh,” one fan said (h/t The Spun).
“Carmelo thought this was a Podcast. He on the NBC set with a quarter zip up,” another fan wrote on X, adding laughing emojis.
“Carmelo out there looking like he still playing in that Zip-up jacket while everyone else got suits on,” a third fan commented.
NBC re-acquired media rights ahead of the 2025-26 season and pulled out all the stops to make their broadcast feel like a return to the glory days of basketball — a buttoned-up celebration of the sport powered by a burst of ’90s nostalgia.
The network recruited Anthony in May to burnish their roster of marquee analysts, including Carter, McGrady, Reggie Miller and Jamal Crawford — even recruiting Michael Jordan as a special contributor.
“Watching the NBA on NBC growing up shaped my love for the game,” Anthony said in a press release upon joining the studio crew.
“Now, I’m thrilled to join the NBC Sports family. I’ve always used my platform to help grow the game, and I’m excited to bring fans a fresh perspective as we usher in a new era of NBA coverage and programming.”
And while his outfit was in direct opposition to the otherwise polished game presentation, the 19-year NBA vet let his expert analysis do the talking — which was exactly what he got hired to do.
“As a Hall of Famer, a college national champion, and one of the most decorated basketball Olympians ever, Carmelo will bring a superstar perspective to our studio coverage,” said NBC Sports executive producer Sam Flood in May.
“He competed against or was the teammate of many of the players we’ll be covering, allowing him to watch the game and observe league happenings through a fresh-off-the-court lens that will bring viewers closer to the action.”
NBC will be an active member in NBA coverage all season long, and time will tell what Anthony’s wardrobe has in store.
