2025 has been good to former NBA star Carmelo Anthony. After landing on the cover of the NBA 2K26 Superstar Edition, his induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame became official on Saturday, cementing the 10-time All-Star's legacy in the sport once and for all.
Anthony was a force to be reckoned with from the get-go when it came to his appearance in the basketball sim series from 2K Games, debuting with 81 OVR for the 2003-04 season after being drafted by the Denver Nuggets. A solid rookie year saw him add six points to his total in the following game, although it would take another two seasons in the 80s before he finally cracked 90 OVR for the first time.
The 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons marked the highest ratings of his career with 94 OVR in the two games covering this period, before his final season with the Nuggets saw him fall back to 88 OVR.
From the second time he reached 87 OVR in the 2006-07 season to his final season with the New York Knicks in 2016-17, Anthony's OVR never dropped below the high 80s, making him a remarkably consistent player, even if he failed to reach the same rating heights as during those two years with 94 OVR.
Anthony's later years, in which he played five seasons on four different teams, saw his rating drop to the lowest point in his career at 76 OVR in his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He finally ended his career as a player at 78 OVR, just three points below his rookie rating.
Out of his NBA 2K game appearances, Anthony managed six appearances with an OVR above 90, nine with an OVR above 80, and four with an OVR in the 70s.
Here's the complete NBA 2K ratings history for Anthony:
2003-04, Denver Nuggets: 81 OVR
2004-05, Denver Nuggets: 87 OVR
2005-06, Denver Nuggets: 85 OVR
2006-07, Denver Nuggets: 87 OVR
2007-08, Denver Nuggets: 94 OVR
2008-09, Denver Nuggets: 94 OVR
2009-10, Denver Nuggets: 88 OVR
2010-11, New York Knicks: 93 OVR
2011-12, New York Knicks: 91 OVR
2012-13, New York Knicks: 92 OVR
2013-14, New York Knicks: 91 OVR
2014-15, New York Knicks: 89 OVR
2015-16, New York Knicks: 88 OVR
2016-17, New York Knicks: 88 OVR
2017-18, Oklahoma City Thunder: 84 OVR
2018-19, Houston Rockets: 79 OVR
2019-20, Portland Trail Blazers: 76 OVR
2020-21, Portland Trail Blazers: 78 OVR
2021-22, Los Angeles Lakers: 78 OVR