_(cropped).jpg) Anthony withOrlando Magic in 2021 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 50 – Orlando Magic | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Point guard /Shooting guard | ||||||||||||||
| League | NBA | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | (2000-05-15)May 15, 2000 (age 24) Portland, Oregon, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | |||||||||||||||
| College | North Carolina (2019–2020) | ||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2020: 1st round, 15th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Selected by theOrlando Magic | |||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2020–present | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
| 2020–present | Orlando Magic | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Stats at NBA.com  | |||||||||||||||
| Stats atBasketball Reference | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Cole Hilton Anthony (born May 15, 2000) is an American professionalbasketball player for theOrlando Magic of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). He playedcollege basketball for theNorth Carolina Tar Heels. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) and 185 pounds (84 kilograms), he plays thepoint guard position.
The son ofGreg Anthony, who played 11 seasons in theNational Basketball Association (NBA), he grew up inManhattan, New York and attendedArchbishop Molloy High School before transferring toOak Hill Academy for his final year. He was rated a consensus five-starrecruit and the best point guard in the 2019 class. As a senior, he earnedUSA Today All-USA first team honors and was namedmost valuable player (MVP) of theMcDonald's All-American Game,Jordan Brand Classic, andNike Hoop Summit. In his freshman season at North Carolina, Anthony earned third-team All-ACC accolades despite missing six weeks due to injury.
In 2018, Anthony led theUnited States to a gold medal and was named to the all-tournament team at theFIBA Under-18 Americas Championship inSt. Catharines, Ontario.
Anthony was born inPortland, Oregon, where his father,Greg Anthony, was playing for thePortland Trail Blazers. Hisumbilical cord waswrapped around his neck at birth, affecting his heart rate at the time but not leading to further complications.[1] As a toddler, Anthony's family moved toManhattan, where he grew up in apenthouse.[2] Even though he came from a wealthy family, Anthony's parents insisted on raising him with hard-working values. He later commented, "They don't hand anything to me in life. What they do hand to me is knowledge."[3]
Anthony first playedbaseball, a sport his father initially thought he would pursue,[4] but decided to focus on basketball in fifth grade.[1] In his childhood, he worked with private basketball trainers and playedpick-up games at local parks, seeking out older opponents.[2][5] From a young age, Anthony was coached by Steve Harris, who mentored NBA playerKemba Walker and was a prominentAmateur Athletic Union (AAU) figure in New York.[5] When he was 11 years old, he appeared inLittle Ballers, a 2013Nickelodeondocumentary film directed by his mother,Crystal McCrary.[3] The film featured Anthony's New York-based AAU team, New Heights.[6]
In his first three years of high school, Anthony played basketball forArchbishop Molloy High School inBriarwood, New York. He was the first freshman to immediately start at point guard for Molloy.Christ the King Regional High School head coach Joe Arbitello called Anthony "the best point guard I've seen sinceStephon Marbury at that age."[7] Anthony averaged 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and garnered All-Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Class AA second team recognition.[8]
As a sophomore, Anthony led Molloy to the CHSAA Class AA city championship finals, where his team was upset byCardinal Hayes High School.[9] He recorded a season-high 31 points in a win overIona Prep in December 2016.[10] Anthony averaged 20.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game and was named to the All-CHSAA Class AA first team with teammate, juniorMoses Brown.[11] In June 2017, he played for the PSA Cardinals at theNike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), a noted amateur circuit, and was named Defensive Player of the Year after leading all players in steals.[12]
In his junior season, Anthony and Brown formed one of the top duos in high school basketball and Molloy's history.[13][14] As team co-captain, Anthony averaged a league-high 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He was named All-CHSAA Class AA first team,USA Today All-USA third team, andMaxPreps Junior All-American third team.[15][16][17] He scored a season-best 37 points against John Marshall High School at the City of Palms Classic in December 2017.[18] In July 2018, Anthony won themost valuable player (MVP) award with the PSA Cardinals in the Nike EYBL after averaging 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over 16 games.[19]
On July 28, 2018, Anthony announced that he would transfer toOak Hill Academy for his senior year. The high school, located inMouth of Wilson, Virginia, is known for their decorated basketball program.[20] He joined the team withKofi Cockburn, another highly regarded prospect in the 2019 class.[21] Entering the season, Oak Hill was widely considered one of the best high school teams in the country.[22][23] Anthony missed a few games of his senior season with an ankle injury.[24] He led his team to the semifinals of theGEICO High School Nationals.[25] Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, leading Oak Hill to a 31–5 record, and became the first player in school history to average atriple-double.[26] He earned spots on theUSA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American third team.[27][28] Anthony was recognized as VirginiaGatorade Player of the Year for his success in both basketball and academics.[26] He was named MVP of three prestigious high school all-star games: theMcDonald's All-American Game, where he had 14 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, and theNike Hoop Summit andJordan Brand Classic.[29][30][31]
Anthony was considered one of the top recruits in the 2019 class since his sophomore season in high school.[32] On April 23, 2019, Anthony committed to play college basketball forNorth Carolina. His other top choices wereGeorgetown,Notre Dame, andOregon.[33] By the end of his high school career, he was by consensus a five-star recruit, top-five player, and the number one point guard in his class.[34][35][36]ESPN ranked him as the second-best player in the class.[34]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Anthony PG | New York City, NY | Oak Hill Academy (VA) | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 23, 2019 | |
Star ratings:Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 96 | ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals:4 247Sports:3 ESPN:2 | ||||||
Sources:
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On November 6, 2019, in his regular-season debut for North Carolina, Anthony had 34 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists to lead his team to a 76–65 victory overNotre Dame.[37] During the game, he surpassed the program record for most points in a freshman season debut, previously held byRashad McCants since 2002, and set theAtlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record for points in a freshman season debut, previously held byDuke'sRJ Barrett since 2018.[38] On November 11, Anthony was named ACC Player and Freshman of the Week after averaging 27 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4 assists in wins over Notre Dame andUNC Wilmington.[39] On November 15, he scored a team-high 28 points in a 77–61 win overGardner–Webb to become the first freshman in program history to score at least 20 points in his first three games.[40]
On December 17, it was announced that Anthony was expected to miss four to six weeks after undergoing surgery for a partiallytorn meniscus in his right knee.[41] He returned in a 71–70 loss toBoston College on February 1, 2020, leading all scorers with 26 points and recording 14 free throws, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.[42] On February 8, Anthony had 24 points and 11 rebounds in a 98–96 overtime loss to seventh-rankedDuke.[43] A week later, in a game againstVirginia, he fell to the floor and began gushing blood from his head after being struck by an opposing player's elbow. He left the game for three minutes before returning with a bandage over his right eyebrow.[44] On March 2, Anthony was recognized as ACC Freshman of the Week a second time after averaging 22 points, six assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in victories overNC State andSyracuse.[45] At the conclusion of the regular season, he earned third-team All-ACC and the ACC All-Freshman Team honors.[46] As a freshman, Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4 assists per game in 22 appearances.[47] His team finished with a 14–19 record, its first losing season under head coachRoy Williams.[48] On April 17, 2020, Anthony declared for the2020 NBA draft.[49]
Anthony was selected by theOrlando Magic with the 15th pick of the first round of the2020 NBA draft.[50] On November 21, 2020, the Magic announced that they had signed Anthony.[51]
On January 20, 2021, Anthony put up 13 points, alongside a game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer in a 97–96 win against theMinnesota Timberwolves.[52] On May 1, 2021, he posted a then career-high 26 points along with a game-winning three-pointer with 0.1 seconds remaining to defeat theMemphis Grizzlies.[53] On May 16, 2021, Anthony became the first Magic rookie to score 30-plus points sinceVictor Oladipo tallied 30 on February 21, 2014, against theNew York Knicks and it was the fifth-highest-scoring performance by a rookie in team history. Anthony concluded his rookie campaign with four 20-plus-point games, 19 double-digit-scoring games in Orlando's last 22 contests and two game-winning three-point buzzer-beaters.[54]
During the first few months of the2021–22 NBA season, Anthony was discussed as a Most Improved Player award candidate.[55][56]
On October 26, 2022, Anthony was sidelined with a right internal oblique muscle injury.[57] On December 29, he was suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to coming off the bench during an altercation in a game against theDetroit Pistons the day before.[58]
On October 23, 2023, Anthony signed a three-year, $39 million extension with the Magic.[59]
Anthony played for theUnited States at the2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship inSt. Catharines, Ontario. In the final, he scored a team-high 18 points in a 113–74 win overCanada to win the gold medal.[60] After averaging 14.3 points and 4.2 assists per game,[61] he was named to the all-tournament team.[62] Anthony took part in theUSA Basketball men's junior national team October minicamp in 2016 and 2018.[63]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Orlando | 47 | 34 | 27.1 | .397 | .337 | .832 | 4.7 | 4.1 | .6 | .4 | 12.9 |
| 2021–22 | Orlando | 65 | 65 | 31.7 | .391 | .338 | .854 | 5.4 | 5.7 | .7 | .3 | 16.3 |
| 2022–23 | Orlando | 60 | 4 | 25.9 | .454 | .364 | .894 | 4.8 | 3.9 | .6 | .5 | 13.0 |
| 2023–24 | Orlando | 81 | 0 | 22.4 | .435 | .338 | .826 | 3.8 | 2.9 | .8 | .5 | 11.6 |
| Career | 253 | 103 | 26.5 | .418 | .343 | .851 | 4.6 | 4.1 | .7 | .4 | 13.4 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Orlando | 7 | 0 | 14.7 | .317 | .154 | .889 | 2.1 | 1.3 | .6 | .1 | 5.1 |
| Career | 7 | 0 | 14.7 | .317 | .154 | .889 | 2.1 | 1.3 | .6 | .1 | 5.1 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019–20 | North Carolina | 22 | 20 | 34.9 | .380 | .348 | .750 | 5.7 | 4.0 | 1.3 | .3 | 18.5 |
_(cropped).jpg)
Anthony is the son ofGreg Anthony andCrystal McCrary and the stepson ofRaymond McGuire. Greg Anthony was a member of the1989–90 UNLV national championship team and played in theNational Basketball Association (NBA) for 11 seasons, before joiningNBA TV andTurner Sports as an analyst andbroadcaster.[3][64] Crystal McCrary worked as alawyer before becoming an author and filmmaker. McGuire is a Wall Street banking executive who ran in theDemocratic primary formayor of New York City.[65][66]
and Basketball Reference 
