“It’s about time,” Carmelo Anthony said when the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced its list of first-time nominees for the Class of 2025. It was long coming for him. But while the world is ready to celebrate him, he’s grappling with something far more personal—writing a speech that truly reflects his journey. But for Melo, it isn’t as easy as it seems.

During The Tamron Hall Show, Melo was asked if he had started preparing his speech. His response? “Not yet. Not yet.” But as the conversation unfolded, his hesitation became clearer. “Me having a, you know, retrospect on my career and things that I’ve done, it’s a lot of things that I don’t want to talk about,” he admitted.

The deeper he went into reflection, the more he realized some stories were better left unsaid. “Like, no, we ain’t putting that in the speech,” he added.

So why is this speech so difficult for him? The 40-year-old himself gave the answer. “There’s a lot of work. Yeah, like I had to really sacrifice a lot,” he said. “I had to, you know, really be the sacrificial lamb to a lot of things.”

Melo’s father died from liver failure when he was two, and his mother worked long hours as a housekeeper to support the family. And soon after that, he moved to Baltimore’s project housing system at age eight. And throughout his childhood, he has faced financial challenges and poverty. That’s exactly why he’s taking this speech so seriously—because his story isn’t just about wins and losses; it’s about resilience, sacrifice, and the road that got him here.

“It’s going to be very sincere,” he said in his podcast. “It’s going to have some [shots] because I got to tell the whole journey.” But don’t expect any cryptic jabs—he’s not here to be subtle.

“It ain’t going to be indirect where you’re going to be like, ‘Who’s Melo talking about?’” he said. “But I’m going to tell a story, and I’m going to tell it how it is, from my point of view.” And knowing Melo, it’s going to be one unforgettable speech. But do you know why his HoF nomination is important for him?

Carmelo Anthony on Hall of Fame nod

A 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, and a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team, Carmelo Anthony’s resume speaks for itself. While critics might point to the one thing missing—a championship—his impact on the game goes far beyond a ring. His place in Springfield was never a question, only a matter of when.

“It’s about time,” he said on his podcast. “For me, like that’s it. It ain’t nothing else in basketball that I can do. That is the pinnacle, that’s the door.”

He knows what it means to stand among legends, and he’s ready to embrace it. “When you think about the Hall of Famers that’s already in there and the way that they open that door to you, that’s a special moment. So I’m embracing it. I’m enjoying it.”

But his legacy isn’t just about numbers—though those are historic, too. Drafted third overall in 2003, he became the face of the Denver Nuggets before taking over Madison Square Garden with the Knicks. With 28,289 points, he remains 10th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. And internationally? No one did it like Melo—he’s the only player to win three straight Olympic golds, leading Team USA in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Let’s wait and see what Melo comes up with in his speech.