Carmelo Anthony directs youth basketball camp at Queens College

When Carmelo Anthony was a child he didn’t have a chance to attend a camp and meet an NBA star.

It’s for this reason the Knicks star likes to host youth basketball camps and have fun with young players.

“I like to be in an intimate setting with my campers,” Anthony said. “Show some humor with them, show some personality with them. This is a moment that they would never forget. I wish I had this when I was young.”

Anthony directed his Melo Camp youth basketball event on August 3 and 4 at Queens College to help inspire more than 640 registered children.

The special event was organized by youth sports camp operator ProCamp, which also directs camps for NBA stars James Harden, Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade among other professional athletes.

Last year Anthony taught his first New York City Melo Camp at St. John’s University, but he has hosted the event with ProCamp since his rookie season with the Denver Nuggets in 2003. This year they choose Queens College, because of its large gym– Maurice Fitzgerald Gymnasium.

Lucky pro-basketball hopefuls at the two-day event took pictures, asked questions and of course played basketball with Anthony.

“He was a kid once so it’s very inspiring,” said ProCamp CEO Gregg Darbyshire. “It shows them that it’s real.”

The boys and girls, who were from grades 1 through 12, learned the fundamentals of the game and then split into teams for five-on-five half-court matches.

Children that participated in the camp received Anthony’s autograph, a team photo with him, a ProCamp T-Shirt, and a camper goodie bag among other gifts.

“My son was really excited,” said Ridgewood resident Daniel Ayala, about meeting Anthony. “He can’t wait to go back to summer camp to tell all his friends. It’s something that he didn’t think he would be able to do.”