National Basketball Association

Carmelo Anthony Is A Favorite Of NBA Rookies

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony is among the favorites for the incoming rookie class.

Carmelo Anthony has found himself in the spotlight a lot this offseason. He has stood up for change in the United States, being vocal on his social media account and going on stage with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul at the ESPY’s for a speech. He represented the USA at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, taking home his third gold medal; the men’s basketball player to do so for the United States.

Anthony continued to be in the spotlight once returning, as he went to a corner store in the city in a robe with his name stiched on it and his Olympics hat.

This has truly been the summer of Carmelo Anthony and he is embracing it. He has been center and garnering attention at almost every turn. He was already one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, but his popularity has been booming.

Fans are enamored with what Anthony has been doing off and on the court, but his peers have also taken notice.

Over at NBA.com, John Schuhmann took his 2016 NBA Rookies survey. He asks the incoming rookie class a number of questions and polls their answers. He asks them a multitude of things, including who will win rookie of the year from their class and who will have the best career.

Schuhmann asked the incoming rookies a lot of questions about their draft class and how they would fare. But one question asked was who their favorite player in the NBA was.

The answers may surprise some people, as Carmelo Anthony finished second in voting with 9.4 percent of the vote; that tied him with LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The only player to finish above that trio was Kevin Durant, who garnered plenty of headlines this summer for his decision to leave the Thunder and join the Golden State Warriors. What is arguably most shocking is that his new teammate, Stephen Curry, was barely on the list. He finished in the others receiving votes category, behind LaMarcus Aldridge, Kobe Bryant, Paul George, Chris Paul and Kevin Garnett.

Durant has been selected as the favorite player in the NBA among the incoming rookie class for the second consecutive season. Anthony has seen his votes increase in each of the past two years, as he was in the others receiving votes in 2013-14, then finished fourth last season before finishing second this season.