Having a hard time with this whole “social distancing” thing? Yeah – us too. Especially when it comes to the lack of sports. So, we here at The Turf thought we’d offer a way to help ease the pain and suffering. While we may not have any of the current sports leagues to watch live, there is PLENTY of archive footage available at our fingertips. We’ve scoured the internet and assembled some of the most iconic, noteworthy, and remarkable sporting events we could find. We also found some mundane, run of the mill matches and contests, that seemed banal at first watch. However, at this point, we’ll take anything that resembles sports, right? Each day, we’ll feature one of the contests and provide you a link where you can relive the glory, exhilaration, and thrill from the comfort of your couch.

Carmelo Anthony is and always be a New York legend. Between carrying the Syracuse Orange to their only National Championship to dealing with the never-ending drama that is the New York Knicks for years, Melo will always be welcome in New York.

A Walk Down Memory Lane

If you’re a fan of either Melo, Syracuse, or College Basketball, I highly recommend watching this short video on a look back at the championship.

It really drives home the fact that in 2003 having not one, but two freshmen lead a team to a National Championship as they did was very uncommon. It also talks about how important Gerry McNamara was to the team’s success.

Melo’s Dominance

Anthony absolutely dominated this game. It took him a little while to get cooking but he ended the game leading both teams in scoring with 20 points and leading Syracuse in both assists (7) and rebounds (10). Syracuse’s zone was tough for Kansas to get around and Melo’s defense was solid throughout. Shocking for his bad rep of no defense in the NBA, I know. His right hand man, Gerry, drained 6 threes for the team and ended the game with 18 points. Crazy he missed every shot he took in front of the arc.

Carmelo Anthony would ultimately get drafted that summer to the Denver Nuggets. Melo said that he planned to stay more than one year at Syracuse, but since he accomplished what he went there to do he decided to leave. He is considered one of, if not the greatest, one and done College Basketball player of all time.