Melo headlines 1st-time Naismith HOF nominees

Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, and Sue Bird headline the shortlist of first-time nominees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, ESPN's Malika Andrews announced during Thursday's edition of "NBA Today."

Anthony split most of his 19-year career between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks, earning 10 All-Star nods, six All-NBA selections, and one scoring title.

Anthony ranks 10th on the NBA's all-time scoring leaderboard. He was named to the league's 75th Anniversary Team in 2021.

The Syracuse product holds the Knicks' single-game points record (62) and led the club to three straight playoff appearances.

Anthony spent parts of eight seasons with the Nuggets before being dealt to New York in February 2011. The former No. 3 overall pick collected All-Rookie first-team honors in his debut campaign and sits fourth on the franchise's all-time scoring list.

Anthony also had brief stops with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers.

Prior to the NBA, he captured Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final Four after leading Syracuse to its first and only national championship.

Anthony also had a decorated international career, winning three Olympic gold medals and scoring the third-most points in U.S. men's Olympic basketball history.

Howard was one of the NBA's premier rebounders and defenders in his prime. The eight-time All-Star led the league in boards on five occasions and remains the only player to win the Defensive Player of the Year award in three straight seasons.

Howard is 10th on the Association's all-time list for rebounds and 13th in blocks. He enjoyed most of his success with the Orlando Magic, leading the team to a Finals appearance in 2008-09.

Howard eventually captured his lone NBA title over a decade later with the Lakers.

Bird played her entire career with the Seattle Storm after being taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 2002. The 13-time All-Star won four WNBA titles, becoming the only player in league history to win a championship in three different decades.

Bird was also a five-time All-WNBA first-team selection and led her peers in dimes three times. She stands atop the league's all-time assists leaderboard with 3,234.

Bird also won a pair of national championships with UConn and was a three-time recipient of the Nancy Lieberman Award, given annually to the top point guard in women's college hoops.