Carmelo Anthony is speaking out everywhere these days: on Instagram, in the press and at awards shows. It seems only fitting, then, that he would choose this week to unveil the latest installment of his Webby-nominated "Stay Melo" series.
This time, Melo focuses on his hometown of Baltimore. He visits his old neighborhood and takes us through some of the struggles he witnessed as a youngster growing up in West Baltimore. (If you've ever wondered why he has that "WB" tattoo, it ain't for Warner Bros.):
Lots of good stuff here. We learn a little bit about the East-West Baltimore divide, and how Melo and other community leaders sought to bridge the gap during the 2015 Freddie Gray protests. We also see the rewards and pressures on a famous athlete returning to his old neighborhood: friends and neighbors coming out to show love, but also people asking him why he doesn't show up more often.
Make sure you stick around until the end, when a local asks him about a certain young Euro:
Guy: "I see they jumped in your ass about what you said about the big ... um ... what's it, yeah, Russian? The big Russian?"
Melo: "Ah, yeah."
Guy: "How he coming along, though?"
Melo: "He good, though."
Indeed he is, Melo.
— Kristaps Porzingis (@kporzee) July 14, 2016