Former Thunder Carmelo Anthony to be Studio Analyst For Thunder-Rockets Season Opener

Former Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rocket Carmelo Anthony is set to be present for the two teams' season opener inside Paycom Center on Tuesday, Oct. 21, it was confirmed yesterday.

Anthony will be a studio analyst for NBA on NBC, as the network makes its long due return to showcasing NBA basketball as a part of its new media rights deal. The last time NBC hosted an NBA game was in 2002.

Anthony, who played a single season of 78 games in 2018-19 for Oklahoma City, will get to see one of his former teams hoist up a banner and receive their championship rings on opening night, in front of the Rockets and a former integral piece of the Thunder organization in Kevin Durant. For Anthony, he may find some solace in it as the 19-year NBA veteran, now retired, never could capture his own ring—but watching his former team do it, a team he enjoys watching, could alleviate that burden.

In just his lone season in Bricktown, Anthony, alongside Paul George and Russell Westbrook, helped the Thunder to the playoffs while averaging 16.2 points per game on 40.4% shooting while also shooting 25.7% from deep range. The Oklahoma City fan base loved having him, and it seemed that he was having a bit of fun throughout his short stint with the Thunder.

But following his retirement after the 2023 season, Anthony has found his way to broadcasting, now landing on the new NBC crew with play-by-play announcer Mike Tirico, analysts in Jamal Crawford and Reggie Miller, as well as his co-analyst in the legendary Vince Carter. He has a stacked team lined up for him, and it'll be very interesting to see how the production comes out on opening night.

“Watching the NBA on NBC growing up shaped my love for the game,” Anthony said in a statement back in early 2025. “Now, I’m thrilled to join the NBC Sports family. I’ve always used my platform to help grow the game, and I’m excited to bring fans a fresh perspective as we usher in a new era of NBA coverage and programming.”

Anthony will be able to do that as a beloved figure across the league. The cool, mid-range bucket-getter now takes his personality to an important role, and he'll do so for two of his previous teams in the Thunder and Rockets on opening night.