Cole Anthony is a young and upcoming basketball player who currently plays for the Orlando Magic. He is the son of former NBA player Greg Anthony and plays the same position as his father (point guard). In this post, we will find out more about Cole Anthony. Let’s get started.
Cole Anthony: All You Need To Know
When was Cole Anthony born?
Cole Anthony was born on May 15, 2000 in Portland, Oregon. His father Greg Anthony played in the NBA between 1991 and 2002. He also had a successful stint with the UNLV Runnin Rebels from 1988 to 1991 before being drafted 12th overall by the New York Knicks in the 1991
Cole Anthony: Basketball Career
Highschool
His first three years of high school were spent at Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood (Queens), while for his senior season, he transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, known for its legendary basketball program. That season Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game, leading Oak Hill to a 31-5 record, and becoming the first player in school history to average a triple-double.
That season he participated in the three most prestigious high school basketball all-stars at the national level, McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit, being chosen as best player in all three.
College
He played one season with the University of North Carolina Tar Heels, in which he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. At the end of his freshman year, Cole Anthony was included in the ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) third team and also in the All Freshman First Team
On April 14, 2020, he declared himself eligible for the NBA Draft, forgoing his remaining three years of college.
NBA
During the 2020 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Cole Anthony via the 15th pick. On January 20, 2021, Anthony scored 13 points, along with a buzzer-beating three-pointer to give his team a 97–96 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On May 1, 2021, he recorded a career-high 26 points along with a game-winning three-pointer with 0.1 seconds left to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies.
On May 16, he became the first Magic rookie to score more than 30 points in a game since Victor Oladipo scored 30 on February 21, 2014 against the New York Knicks and it was the fifth highest scoring performance by a rookie in team history. He concluded his rookie season with four 20+ point games, 19 double-digit scoring games in his last 22, and two games won at the buzzer with a three-pointer. Cole Anthony is a proper two way player who excels on defense as well.
On October 26, 2022, he was sidelined due to an injury to the right internal oblique muscle. On December 29, the NBA suspended him for one game without pay because he came off the bench during an altercation in a game against the Detroit Pistons the day before.
Cole Anthony: Player Profile
Let’s start at the beginning. The young Cole Anthony, born in Portland and raised in Manhattan, was listed as one of the three best players of the 2019 Class and represented the best discovery of the Roy Williams era with only 3 championship games. One could even be talking about the best of the university since Raymond Felton in 2002. Something that for the short time it has been there are words of great measure and may seem without much thought, but “when the river makes noise, it carries water.”
Cole Anthony, son of former NBA player Greg Anthony, had just been named MVP of the Nike Hoop Summit and co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic along with James Wiseman in recent weeks, being without a doubt one of the most anticipated players of his generation.
It was clear that this kid could and would have to score a lot for North Carolina in 2019-20. After two games he showed that he could be a true scorer with an average of 27.5 points per game. Including his 34-point outburst against Notre Dame in his debut. But it was his rebounding, too, that made the freshman the most complete point guard Roy Williams has ever recruited. Keep in mind, we are talking about a coach who has been in the UNC scene all his life, coaching since 2003.
“He’s the best point guard I’ve ever been around. Plain and simple. Full stop. And we’ve had incredible point guards. Coby (White) last year, Joel Berry, and Marcus Paige. But I’m talking about the best point guard I’ve been around in terms of my career and in the entire NBA. Not just in terms of performance preparation, but the whole complete package. His approach, his attention to detail, his personality in the locker room, he’s a leader on and off the floor. He’s absolutely fantastic.” said UNC assistant coach Hubert Davis.
And when North Carolina was struggling to score, it knew who it could count on. A 19-year-old Cole Anthony, who scored 28 points to help the Tar Heels win 77-61 at the Dean Smith Center. UNC now starts the season 3-0 for the sixth straight year.
No freshman in recent memory had a greater impact on his team’s overall performance. No player in the country found himself in the national media spotlight more often. No NBA prospect (besides Georgia’s Anthony Edwards) generated more discussion about his future.
Anthony was never a physical marvel like Zion Williamson, but he was the closest thing to a freshman sensation college basketball got in his solitary freshman season. A creative and frisky point guard who will remind you of Damian Lillard or Kyrie Irving: a master shotmaker with deep range, an explosive athlete and a scorer who was programmed his entire life to score baskets.