NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony and his ex-wife, TV star La La Anthony, married in 2010 after seven years of dating. The first years seven-plus years of their relationship were spent in the mild and quaint city of Denver, with Melo the star player of the Denver Nuggets.
But following a February 2011 blockbuster trade, Melo was dealt to the New York Knicks. It seemed like a perfect fit. In fact, both Carmelo and La La were both born in Brooklyn. Melo took it a step further, winning a national championship in his one year of college in upstate New York at Syracuse. But it was the move from Denver to NYC that La La believes played a huge factor in their subsequent divorce.
The nightlife temptations and celebrity demand in Colorado was dwarfed in comparison to what Melo would encounter as the No. 1 basketball star in the city that never sleeps.
By 2019, one of the glamour couples in sports and entertainment was at a point of no return.
Carmelo Anthony Caught Allegedly Cheating on Lala in France on Her Birthday; Photos of Mystery Woman & If There is An Explanation https://t.co/w0ATRHpkJ1 pic.twitter.com/daLwVACB4P
— BILL (@billsource) June 26, 2019
During a recent appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast for a segment called “Life After Professional Athletes,” the “Power” and “The Chi” actress spoke candidly about the move to the Rotten Apple and the negative effects it had on her marriage to Melo.
“When we lived here in New York under all of that attention, that’s when things became complicated. I think that was kind of the start, now that I look back, that was kind of the start of the demise of the marriage.”
Anthony continued …
“It is the hardest with the scrutiny and the media and the press, just everything. It is really hard. That’s not the only reason things didn’t work out, but things got tough with New York … just constantly being under the spotlight and people watching everything.”
Life after Professional Athletes. LA LA ANTHONY IS HERE!!!! Watch now🔥 @lala https://t.co/X1mnnhRFMn pic.twitter.com/QMA5TdTqIR
— Call Her Daddy (@callherdaddy) October 26, 2022
Living in Denver and NYC are two completely different things. And while we’re not insinuating that was the main malfunction in their marriage, La La insists it’s a real thing. New York city life gives you all of the spotlight you want, but that spotlight can burn a player into submission when things don’t pan out. It’s also harder to move on the down low with paparazzi and social media trolls always lurking.
La La Talks About Sleepless Nights of Being an NBA Wife
It may have been challenging for Melo to deal with his elevated celebrity, but the transition was equally hard on his wife. Being an NBA player means you could be in four to five cities a week with your respective team. That means different time zones, and again different temptations, especially groupies.
Anthony admits to having what she referred to as “sleepness nights,” when Melo traveled to different cities.
“I never slept. It’s so funny, I use to think certain cities, like oh, those are the problem cities, Miami, I’d be like, Oh, I’m definitely not sleeping tonight or I’m going to figure out a way to get there.”
“But here’s what I found, dear. Be careful with these cities that you think don’t have as much going on, because those are the ones where the s—t is going down.”
That was said in response to podcast host Alex Cooper saying athletes had “situationships” in other cities.
The real reason why Melo only scored 12 points in his return to MSG😂. What do you guys think LaLa said to him after the game? (Quote or comment) #Deathstare pic.twitter.com/KsbNu6rrUa
— Seattle Sonics ON Tap (@SonicsONTap) December 17, 2017
Anthony Says She And Melo Are Co-Parenting Friends
During the interview, Anthony also talked about her good friend, Ciara, who’s married to Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, and their bond being something she’s never witnessed.
Thank you for being Kiyan's hero and a great dad. He's the luckiest boy in the world. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY @carmeloanthony pic.twitter.com/A91chUMRxa
— LA LA (@lala) June 19, 2017
La La seems to be in a good head space, her career is booming, and she’s now focused on co-parenting 15-year-old son Kiyan, a 2025 four-star recruit who currently plays at the legendary Christ The King High School in New York.
As for Melo, he’s awaiting a shot with another team after spending last season with good friend LeBron James and the underachieving Los Angeles Lakers. Maybe he gets one more shot at a ring before he officially retires. It’s been a wild ride for one of the greatest scorers of his generation.
