Daily News | ‘Mr. Do Something’: How De’Anthony Melton became an elite defender and essential Sixer
As Andy Enfield watched last spring’s NBA playoff series between the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors with his three children, the USC coach viscerally reacted to the Grizzly who catapulted himself straight up to block Stephen Curry’s high-arching finger roll.
That play signifies Melton’s impact during a basketball career he has described as “unexpected, but expected.” The 76ers guard faced a challenging childhood and was an under-recruited college prospect because he was never a flashy scorer. His USC career was cut short when he was ruled ineligible during an FBI investigation that revealed no wrongdoing by him. He was traded twice in his first calendar year as an NBA player, and three times in less than five seasons.
“This is where I wanted to be, this is where I feel like I deserve to be,” Melton said. “And I feel like I can be even better. A lot of stuff has happened, and some people probably would have folded or it would mess up their [mentality], but I just try to stay focused.Melton hopes to someday release a book or movie about his life.
He channeled his “young Mike Vick” on the football field with jukes to avoid tackles, while also playing defensive line, secondary and returner. Basketball skills such as ball handling were more challenging for Melton, but became his sole sports focus following ninth grade.Russell White, then coach at Crespi High School, approached De’Anthony and Monique at a junior-high tournament about joining his program.
On the basketball court, meanwhile, Melton became fascinated with triple-doubles and the quest “to get as many stats in every category that I could,” he said. And it started by emphasizing defense, the end of the floor where Melton possesses instincts he and former coaches cannot explain. “I [got] to talk to my players [at Crespi],” White said, “and just constantly say, ‘Hey, De’Anthony didn’t do that. That’s not how De’Anthony acted. And, by the way, he was better than you, so just shut your mouth and show up and work.’”
Melton had won a starting job at USC a couple games into his freshman season, teaming up with Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jordan McLaughlin to create a backcourt that was “really hard to guard, because they were so smart and creative with the basketball,” Enfield said. Melton averaged 8.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 steals for a Trojans team that set a school record with 26 wins and, as a No. 11 seed, upset SMU in the NCAA Tournament’s first round.
“He was one of our favorite players to ever coach, because he never asked for anything. He just showed up every day, competed and was a great teammate.” “He was staring at the television with this grin on his face,” sister Destiny said. “Everybody was jumping on him, jumping around him, and he was not moving. He was looking at the TV like, ‘That’s me. Wait a minute, they said my name.’”
The way former teammates mobbed Melton following his Memphis return game on Friday — culminating with a jersey swap with the superstar Morant — illustrated how well he gelled in with the Grizzlies’ exciting young core.
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