Melo joins Next Stars program as Global Ambassador

NBA legend Carmelo Anthony has joined the NBL’s Next Stars program as a Global Ambassador, the league announced on Tuesday.

With his appointment, Anthony — a 10-time NBA All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist — will also join the ownership group of a future NBL expansion team. He follows in the footsteps of Kenny Smith, who was recently appointed the Head of Next Stars Player Initiatives in North America, and will become a part owner of a future NBL team.

Anthony’s primary role as an ambassador will be to “attract and mentor top-tier players worldwide”, with the NBL hoping the addition of one of basketball’s all-time great scorers helps to continue to elevate the credibility of the program.

“In joining the NBL, I’m excited for the opportunity to not just elevate basketball in Australia, but to impact the global landscape of the sport,” Anthony said.

“The recent pipeline of talent that has come out of the NBL and into the NBA has been extremely impressive, and the Next Stars program is a prime example of the league’s commitment to nurturing talent and cultivating elite players. I look forward to working with the League to help play a role in shaping the future of basketball worldwide.”

Anthony was one of the NBA’s greatest scorers, playing for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers over the course of his 19-year professional career.

The Next Stars program was created ahead of the 2018-19 NBL season, with the aim of providing a platform for draft-eligible talent to compete in ahead of the NBA draft. Over the years, the initiative has also included draft-and-stash talent.

Eight players have been drafted out of the program, including three in the lottery: LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, and Ousmane Dieng. Eight of the NBL’s 10 teams had a Next Stars player as part of a roster for the 2023-24 season, headlined by the Perth Wildcats’ Alexandre Sarr, who’s No. 2 on ESPN’s most recent 2024 NBA mock draft.

The program was initially introduced as an alternative to the college basketball system, primarily targeting one-and-done talent. The NBA responded by creating a developmental basketball team of its own, NBA G-League Ignite, but that program folded at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, largely due to the rise of the NCAA’s name, image, and likeness (NIL) policy and transfer portal.

The NIL policy allows student-athletes to earn money off their personal brand, making college basketball a significantly more palatable option for high-level talent who have the capacity to leverage their popularity. NIL still poses a hurdle for the NBL when recruiting top talent around the world, but, with the dismantling of Ignite, the Next Stars program now has one fewer competitor.

“Our track record speaks for itself and the Next Stars program is where more and more future NBA stars are developed,” NBL Director and Board Member Nikola Milivojevic said.

“As a master of his craft and legend of the game, Carmelo is the ideal mentor for our Next Stars, and the perfect partner for the NBL as we chart a path forward that involves launching more new NBA stars, gaining new audiences, exploring new markets and making an indelible mark globally for future generations. Now with Carmelo on board, along with Kenny Smith, we will take it to a whole new level.”

Anthony’s impending ownership of an NBL expansion team will see him join a long line of current and former NBA players who’ve become part owners over the years: Luc Longley and Andrew Bogut with the Sydney Kings; John Wall, Danté Exum, Zach Randolph, Josh Childress, and Al Harrington with the South East Melbourne Phoenix; Kevin Martin, Thaddeus Young, and Khris Middleton with the Brisbane Bullets; and Shawn Marion, Matt Walsh, and Victor Oladipo with the New Zealand Breakers.

The value of NBL teams has increased significantly over recent years. Larry Kettleman — the NBL’s Owner and Executive Chairman of the NBL — recently sold a 10 percent stake of Melbourne United for $4 million, putting the overall valuation of the team at $40 million. The Perth Wildcats’ owners, Sports Entertainment Group, received an offer this week that also valued the team at $40 million.

“This is a huge statement of confidence in what this League is all about and especially over the last 10 years what’s been achieved by myself and our team since taking ownership of the League,” Kestelman said.

“I’m so proud that we have a global superstar like Carmelo Anthony joining the program. His job is to help us promote the Next Stars program, help us attract the right talent, but also with the vision of him being a part owner of a future expansion team. The credibility that brings, the global exposure that brings to the League cannot be understated. The NBL is already regarded as the second best domestic league in the world and for us to be more global and more relevant, and presented in the right light to the world, I think Carmelo will absolutely no doubt do an amazing job at that.”

“This League is growing from strength to strength and this new announcement signals the arrival of the NBL, not just in the local market, but our ambitions to be a more global league and without a doubt, the best pathway to the NBA.”