You’ve probably seen the headlines lately and done a double-take. "Carmelo Anthony charged with murder?" It sounds like a bad fever dream or some weird alternate reality. If you grew up watching "Melo" drain mid-range jumpers for the Nuggets and Knicks, your brain likely glitched when that notification popped up on your phone.
But here’s the thing: context is everything.
The internet is currently a mess of confusion because of a tragic case out of Frisco, Texas. It involves a teenager also named Karmelo Anthony. No, not the future Hall of Famer. Not the 10-time All-Star. We’re talking about an 18-year-old student whose name happens to be phonetically identical to the basketball legend.
This mix-up has sent search engines into a tailspin. People are asking "was Carmelo Anthony charged" while thinking of the guy who wore number 15 and 7, when they should be looking at a completely different, and far more somber, legal situation involving a high school track meet.
The Confusion: A Tale of Two Anthonys
To be crystal clear: NBA legend Carmelo Anthony has not been charged with murder.
The headlines you might be seeing refer to an incident on April 2, 2025, at David Kuykendall Stadium in Frisco. According to police reports and an indictment from June 2024, a teen named Karmelo Anthony (spelled with a 'K') was involved in a fatal altercation.
Basically, a 17-year-old student named Austin Metcalf was stabbed during a track meet. Witnesses told investigators that the dispute started over a seat in a tent. The younger Anthony allegedly told Metcalf, "Touch me and see what happens," before the situation escalated.
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It’s a heavy, tragic story. But because the names are so similar, fans of the retired NBA star have been flooding social media with questions. The "real" Melo—the one who retired in 2023—is busy being a dad and watching his son, Kiyan Anthony, prepare for his own college basketball career. He has absolutely nothing to do with this Texas case.
Looking Back: Was Carmelo Anthony Ever Charged With Anything?
Now, if you’re asking about the NBA star’s past, that’s a different conversation. Like many young stars thrust into the limelight in the early 2000s, Carmelo didn't have a perfectly spotless record. He had a few run-ins that definitely kept his lawyers busy during his Denver Nuggets era.
Honestly, the mid-2000s were a bit of a "Wild West" for NBA PR. Here is what actually happened during those years.
The 2004 Marijuana Incident
Back in October 2004, a 20-year-old Melo was at Denver International Airport getting ready to board a team flight to Milwaukee. During a routine bag check, security found less than an ounce of marijuana in his backpack.
The media went nuts. It was his sophomore season, and he was the face of the franchise. Melo’s defense? He claimed the bag belonged to a friend, James Cunningham, who had borrowed it and left the stash inside.
Guess what? The friend actually stepped up. Cunningham signed an affidavit taking full responsibility. By December, the Denver City Attorney’s office dropped the charges. Melo was vindicated legally, but the "bad boy" narrative started to stick for a while.
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The 2008 DUI Case
This one was a bit more serious. In April 2008, Denver police pulled Melo over on Interstate 25. They said he was weaving and failed to dim his high beams.
He didn't pass the field sobriety tests.
Eventually, he took a plea deal. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of driving while ability-impaired (DWAI). He got a year of probation, 24 hours of community service, and had to pay about $1,000 in fines. The Nuggets also suspended him for two games. It was a wake-up call for him, and he mostly stayed out of the legal blotter after that.
The "Stop Snitchin'" Video
While not a criminal charge, we can't talk about his early controversies without mentioning the infamous "Stop Snitchin'" DVD from 2004. Melo appeared in a street video filmed in his hometown of Baltimore. The video featured people warning against cooperating with the police.
He later apologized, saying he didn't realize the context of the video and was just hanging out with old friends. It didn't lead to an arrest, but it definitely didn't help his image with the league office at the time.
Why the Current News is Trending So Hard
The reason you keep seeing "was Carmelo Anthony charged" in your Discover feed in 2025 and 2026 is purely down to the Texas murder trial.
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- The Name Factor: Karmelo vs. Carmelo. It’s a search engine’s nightmare.
- The Timing: The Texas trial is scheduled for June 2026. As the date approaches, news outlets are ramping up coverage.
- The Viral Nature of Misinformation: People see a headline like "Karmelo Anthony Indicted for Murder" and immediately share it to their basketball group chats without reading the article.
It’s a classic case of identity confusion, but the stakes are much higher than just a wrong tag on a photo. One is a tragic loss of life involving a student; the other is a retired athlete living his life.
Navigating the Noise: What You Should Know
If you are following the legal news, keep these facts in your back pocket to avoid the confusion.
- The Texas Case: Involves an 18-year-old named Karmelo Anthony. He is being tried as an adult in Collin County. His defense is claiming self-defense in the stabbing of Austin Metcalf.
- The NBA Legend: Carmelo Anthony is retired. He’s 41 years old as of 2025. He spends most of his time at his son's basketball games or working on his "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast.
- Legal Standing: The NBA's Carmelo Anthony has no active criminal charges or pending cases.
Actionable Steps for Staying Informed
It’s easy to get sucked into the "outrage bait" or the confusion of similar names. To stay accurate, here's what you can do.
Verify the middle name and age. Most legal reports for the Texas teen will list his age as 17 or 18. The NBA legend is in his 40s.
Check the location. If the story mentions Frisco, Texas, or a high school track meet, it is not about the basketball player. If it mentions New York, Denver, or the NBA, it’s likely a retrospective on the athlete.
Look at the spelling. "Karmelo" with a K is the individual involved in the current Texas legal proceedings. "Carmelo" with a C is the basketball player.
Wait for the source. Major sports outlets like ESPN or Bleacher Report aren't reporting on a murder because it isn't the athlete. If you only see the news on "breaking news" Twitter accounts with no blue checks, be skeptical.
Understanding the difference saves you from spreading misinformation and helps keep the focus on the actual victims and families involved in the Texas tragedy.