NBA

Knicks’ Melo elated as ’Cuse hangs number

SYRACUSE — Ten years ago, Carmelo Anthony watched and wondered as a Syracuse jersey was lifted to the rafters. Yesterday, it was his turn.

“I remember being here when Sherman [Douglas] got his number retired and wondering what was going through his mind and how it felt,” he said. “And to be on the flip side is an incredible feeling.”

Anthony became the 10th Syracuse player to have his number retired, hoisting his framed No. 15 jersey toward the white roof of the Carrier Dome as an NCAA record on-campus crowd of 35,012 chanted his name at halftime of No. 8 Syracuse’s 57-46 loss to No. 11 Georgetown.

“This is one of the most memorable days of my life, of my career,” he said during the ceremony, flanked by his wife, La La, son and mother and backed by several teammates from the Orange’s 2003 national title team.

Anthony’s number now hangs next to the championship banner. Syracuse’s nine other retired jerseys hang on the opposite side of the giant video board.

With his spot in Syracuse lore secure, Anthony continues to try to cement his spot in Knicks history.

“I can’t think that far ahead,” he said when asked about having a similar ceremony at the Garden someday. “Maybe in 10, 15 years, if something were to happen … like I said, today will be something I will never forget.”

Anthony, who practiced in Westchester in the morning before rushing north for the 4 p.m. tip, and the Knicks aren’t close to raising a championship banner. A season that started with promise is unraveling — almost the opposite of what Anthony experienced in his lone season in central New York.

The Orange lost their opener to Memphis at the Garden that season and never were considered a real threat to win it all — until March. Anthony, just a freshman, carried Syracuse to the title and was named the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.

Yesterday, the Orange faithful thanked him for that effort.

“Ten years ago, I remember walking down that tunnel for that last time and you were all chanting, ‘Four more years!’ ” Anthony said. “And then at the [title celebration] you chanted ‘four more years’ again. I thought you stayed in college for four years.”

But one was enough for Anthony. Combined with a multi-million gift he donated to help build the Carmelo K. Anthony Basketball Center, it was enough to get his jersey retired.

“I was only here for one year, but I learned so much in that one year,” he said. “I experienced so much in that one year. I had so much fun.

“The community embraced me. And in one year, to win a national title [was special].”

Perhaps the only thing that might have felt better would have been to end the day with an Orange win. Anthony, who averaged 23.3 points in three games against Georgetown, remained in his seat under the basket until the end, watching Hoyas sophomore Otto Porter Jr. do a pretty good Carmelo Anthony impersonation.

Porter dominated with 33 points and eight rebounds, leaving the Orange (22-5, 10-4) with a bitter taste in their final Big East home game against the Hoyas (21-4, 11-3).

“It was big for him to come back, and of course you want to win for him for everything he did for this school,” said junior C.J. Fair, who grew up an Anthony fan in Baltimore.