Cole Anthony Bio
Cole Hilton Anthony (born May 15, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 meters) and 185 pounds (84 kilograms), he plays the point guard position. The son of Greg Anthony, who played 11 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he grew up in Manhattan, New York and attended Archbishop Molloy High School before transferring to Oak Hill Academy for his final year. He was rated a consensus five-star recruit and the best point guard in the 2019 class. As a senior, he earned USA Today All-USA first team honors and was named most valuable player (MVP) of the McDonald’s All-American Game, Jordan Brand Classic, and Nike Hoop Summit. In his freshman season at North Carolina, Anthony earned third-team All-ACC accolades despite missing six weeks due to injury.
Early Life and Background
Cole Anthony was born in Portland, Oregon, where his father, Greg Anthony, was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers. His umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck at birth, affecting his heart rate at the time but not leading to further complications. As a toddler, Anthony’s family moved to Manhattan, where he grew up in a penthouse. Even though he came from a wealthy family, Anthony’s parents insisted on raising him with hard-working values. He later commented, “They don’t hand anything to me in life. What they do hand to me is knowledge.” Anthony first played baseball, a sport his father initially thought he would pursue, but decided to focus on basketball in fifth grade. In his childhood, he worked with private basketball trainers and played pick-up games at local parks, seeking out older opponents. From a young age, Anthony was coached by Steve Harris, who mentored NBA player Kemba Walker and was a prominent Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) figure in New York. When he was 11 years old, he appeared in Little Ballers, a 2013 Nickelodeon documentary film directed by his mother, Crystal McCrary. The film featured Anthony’s New York-based AAU team, New Heights.
Path to Basketball
In his first three years of high school, Anthony played basketball for Archbishop Molloy High School in Briarwood, New York. He was the first freshman to immediately start at point guard for Molloy. Christ the King Regional High School head coach Joe Arbitello called Anthony “the best point guard I’ve seen since Stephon Marbury at that age.” Anthony averaged 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game and garnered All-Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Class AA second team recognition. As a sophomore, Anthony led Molloy to the CHSAA Class AA city championship finals, where his team was upset by Cardinal Hayes High School. He recorded a season-high 31 points in a win over Iona Prep in December 2016. Anthony averaged 20.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game and was named to the All-CHSAA Class AA first team with teammate, junior Moses Brown. In June 2017, he played for the PSA Cardinals at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), a noted amateur circuit, and was named Defensive Player of the Year after leading all players in steals. In his junior season, Anthony and Brown formed one of the top duos in high school basketball and Molloy’s history. As team co-captain, Anthony averaged a league-high 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He was named All-CHSAA Class AA first team, USA Today All-USA third team, and MaxPreps Junior All-American third team. He scored a season-best 37 points against John Marshall High School at the City of Palms Classic in December 2017. In July 2018, Anthony won the most valuable player (MVP) award with the PSA Cardinals in the Nike EYBL after averaging 26.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over 16 games. On July 28, 2018, Anthony announced that he would transfer to Oak Hill Academy for his senior year. He joined the team with Kofi Cockburn, another highly regarded prospect in the 2019 class. Entering the season, Oak Hill was widely considered one of the best high school teams in the country. Anthony missed a few games of his senior season with an ankle injury. He led his team to the semifinals of the GEICO High School Nationals. Anthony averaged 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game, leading Oak Hill to a 31–5 record, and became the first player in school history to average a triple-double. He earned spots on the USA Today All-USA first team and MaxPreps All-American third team. Anthony was recognized as Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year for his success in both basketball and academics. He was named MVP of three prestigious high school all-star games: the McDonald’s All-American Game, where he had 14 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, and the Nike Hoop Summit and Jordan Brand Classic.
Cole Anthony Career
Early Career (2020–2025)
Cole Anthony was selected by the Orlando Magic with the 15th pick of the first round of the 2020 NBA draft. On November 21, 2020, the Magic announced that they had signed Anthony. On January 20, 2021, Anthony put up 13 points, alongside a game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer in a 97–96 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On May 1, 2021, he posted a then career-high 26 points along with a game-winning three-pointer with 0.1 seconds remaining to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies. On May 16, 2021, Anthony became the first Magic rookie to score 30-plus points since Victor Oladipo tallied 30 on February 21, 2014, against the New York Knicks and it was the fifth-highest-scoring performance by a rookie in team history. Anthony concluded his rookie campaign with four 20-plus-point games, 19 double-digit-scoring games in Orlando’s last 22 contests and two game-winning three-point buzzer-beaters. During the first few months of the 2021–22 NBA season, Anthony was discussed as a Most Improved Player award candidate. On October 26, 2022, Anthony was sidelined with a right internal oblique muscle injury. On December 29, he was suspended by the NBA for one game without pay due to coming off the bench during an altercation in a game against the Detroit Pistons the day before. On October 23, 2023, Anthony signed a three-year, $39 million extension with the Magic.
Breakthrough (2025–Present)
On June 15, 2025, Anthony was traded, alongside Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, four unprotected first-round picks including the 16th overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, and a 2029 first-round pick swap, to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for Desmond Bane. Before appearing in a game for the Grizzlies, Anthony was waived after a contract buyout agreement on July 12. On July 16, Anthony signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Cole Anthony Award Nominations
Cole Anthony has received notable accolades throughout his career, including being named to the ACC All-Freshman Team and earning third-team All-ACC honors in 2020.
Cole Anthony Awards Won
Throughout his career, Cole Anthony has achieved significant milestones, including being named MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game and the Nike Hoop Summit in 2019. He also led the United States to a gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship.
