Carmelo Anthony accomplished a lot during his 19 seasons in the NBA: 10-time all-star, six-time All-NBA Team member, 10th place on the all-time scoring list. He also became synonymous with the phrase “risk it all” for a picture taken in 2014 that shows him staring at Rihanna. This week, Anthony shared the backstory of the meme on the 7 PM In Brooklyn podcast.
“It was after the Met [Gala]. We already in there having a good time. Every time people come in there, celebrity comes in, the cameras go crazy,” he explained to co-hosts The Kid Mero, Rudy Gay, and Monica McNutt. “It’s small in that area, so you see all the flashes. It’s commotion when you walk in there. I finally walk in and get through the cameras and sit down — now I found my comfort zone.”
Anthony (who attended the gala with his then-wife, LaLa Anthony) was trying to keep a low profile, but then “Rih walks in, cameras go crazy. There’s only one area to go to, and I’m like, ‘Please don’t come over here.’ I put my head down and I look up, and she’s right there posing.”
You can listen to the 7 PM In Brooklyn podcast above (the Rihanna talk begins around the 1:28:50 mark).