Syracuse University.

A storied institution where presidents, famous authors, revered sportscasters, and Hall of Fame players across the sports world took their first steps into history. And one of the greatest campus legends didn’t just walk those well-trodden grounds in 2002-03, he glided.

Carmelo Anthony left his mark forever, sending shockwaves down the halls of the Carrier Dome that still shake the rafters there two decades later. A silky-smooth scorer with the feathery jumper, he wasn’t merely another prodigy whose smile could light up a room. That smile became part of the culture. It seemed to carry within it the school’s secret lore. It was an attitude to share in. To smile like that was to believe, and belief was contagious in 2003. Because there he was, as a 19-year-old freshman, carrying the Orangemen to a national title with an ease of stride that suggested the game came easy. Impossible? No, no, no — impossible grace. Impossible to stop.

With his hair in slick aerodynamic cornrows and his trademark orange headband, Melo arrived like a godsend to the game. Number 15 was mean. It was step backs, arena’s packed and boom, just like that, Syracuse basketball was back, baby, back! The snapshots told a story. The Melo chants. The dome stomp. The national media scrambling for a shot as beautiful as Melo’s. Then the run itself. The 33 he hung on Texas in the Final Four. The moments ticking down to history a game later. And finally, the glory of cutting down the nets. Syracuse and Melo — forever orange.

Introducing the Roots of Fight x Carmelo Anthony collection as part of our new Campus Legends program!