Cole Anthony facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Cole Anthony

Anthony with the Orlando Magic in 2021
No. 50 – Milwaukee Bucks
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(2000-05-15) May 15, 2000 (age 25) Portland, Oregon, U.S.
High school	Archbishop Molloy (Briarwood, New York) Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Virginia)
Listed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
College	North Carolina (2019–2020)
NBA Draft	2020 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Orlando Magic
Pro career	2020–present
League	NBA
Career history
2020–2025	Orlando Magic
2025–present	Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
Third-team All-ACC (2020) ACC All-Freshman Team (2020) Nike Hoop Summit MVP (2019) McDonald's All-American Game MVP (2019) Jordan Brand Classic MVP (2019)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  United States FIBA Americas U18 Championship Gold 2018 Canada National team

Cole Hilton Anthony (born May 15, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. He plays as a point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Cole is the son of Greg Anthony, who also played in the NBA. Cole grew up in Manhattan, New York. He went to Archbishop Molloy High School and then Oak Hill Academy. He was considered one of the best point guards in his high school class. In his senior year, he won MVP awards at several big high school games, like the McDonald's All-American Game. In college, he was named to the All-ACC team, even though he was injured for some time. In 2018, Cole helped the U.S. team win a gold medal at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship.

Early Life and Basketball Beginnings

Cole Anthony was born in Portland, Oregon. His dad, Greg Anthony, was playing for the Portland Trail Blazers at the time. When Cole was a toddler, his family moved to Manhattan. Even though his family was well-off, his parents taught him the importance of hard work. Cole said they taught him "knowledge" instead of just giving him things.

Cole first played baseball, but by fifth grade, he decided to focus on basketball. He worked with private trainers and played pick-up games against older players. A coach named Steve Harris, who also helped NBA player Kemba Walker, coached Cole from a young age. When Cole was 11, he appeared in a 2013 Nickelodeon documentary film called Little Ballers. His mom, Crystal McCrary, directed the film, which featured Cole's AAU team, New Heights.

High School Basketball Journey

Cole played his first three years of high school basketball at Archbishop Molloy High School in New York. He was the first freshman to start as a point guard for Molloy. Coaches said he was one of the best point guards they had seen at his age. In his first year, he averaged 16.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

As a sophomore, Cole led Molloy to the city championship finals. He averaged 20.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He was named to the All-CHSAA Class AA first team. In his junior year, Cole and teammate Moses Brown were a top duo. Cole averaged 23.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He was named to the USA Today All-USA third team.

In July 2018, Cole announced he would transfer to Oak Hill Academy for his senior year. This school in Virginia is famous for its basketball program. Cole joined the team with Kofi Cockburn, another talented player. Cole averaged 18.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 10.2 assists per game. He became the first player in Oak Hill history to average a triple-double (double digits in points, rebounds, and assists). He was named USA Today All-USA first team and Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year. He also won MVP awards at the McDonald's All-American Game, Nike Hoop Summit, and Jordan Brand Classic.

Becoming a Top Recruit

Cole Anthony was considered one of the best high school basketball players in the 2019 class. On April 23, 2019, he decided to play college basketball for North Carolina. Other top schools he considered were Georgetown, Notre Dame, and Oregon. By the end of high school, he was a five-star recruit and the number one point guard in his class. ESPN ranked him as the second-best player overall.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Cole Anthony PG	New York City, NY	Oak Hill Academy (VA)	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Apr 23, 2019
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 96
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 4  247Sports: 3  ESPN: 2
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career at North Carolina

Anthony sits on the North Carolina bench with a knee injury in January 2020.

On November 6, 2019, Cole played his first college game for North Carolina. He scored 34 points, had 11 rebounds, and five assists. This helped his team win 76–65 against Notre Dame. He broke the record for most points by a freshman in their first game for North Carolina. He also set a new record for the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for points in a freshman debut.

In December 2019, Cole had surgery for a partially torn meniscus in his right knee. He was expected to miss four to six weeks. He returned to play on February 1, 2020, scoring 26 points against Boston College. On February 8, he scored 24 points and had 11 rebounds in a close overtime loss to Duke.

At the end of the season, Cole was named to the third-team All-ACC and the ACC All-Freshman Team. As a freshman, he averaged 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4 assists per game in 22 games. On April 17, 2020, Cole Anthony decided to enter the 2020 NBA draft.

Professional NBA Career

Orlando Magic (2020–2025)

The Orlando Magic chose Cole Anthony with the 15th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA draft. He officially signed with the Magic on November 21, 2020.

On January 20, 2021, Cole scored 13 points and made a game-winning shot at the last second against the Minnesota Timberwolves. On May 1, 2021, he scored a career-high 26 points and made another game-winning shot with 0.1 seconds left to beat the Memphis Grizzlies. On May 16, 2021, he became the first Magic rookie since 2014 to score over 30 points in a game. He finished his rookie season with four games where he scored 20 or more points.

During the start of the 2021–22 NBA season, people talked about Cole as a candidate for the Most Improved Player award. On October 26, 2022, he was out of play due to a right oblique muscle injury. On December 29, he was suspended for one game by the NBA. This was because he left the bench during a fight in a game against the Detroit Pistons.

On October 23, 2023, Cole signed a new three-year contract extension with the Magic. On April 15, 2025, he scored 26 points in a play-in tournament win over the Atlanta Hawks. This win helped the Magic get the seventh seed in the NBA playoffs.

Milwaukee Bucks (2025–present)

On June 15, 2025, Cole Anthony was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a bigger trade. However, before he played any games for the Grizzlies, his contract was bought out on July 12. Soon after, on July 16, Cole signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Playing for the National Team

Cole Anthony played for the United States at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Americas Championship in Canada. In the final game, he scored 18 points, helping the U.S. team win the gold medal against Canada. He averaged 14.3 points and 4.2 assists per game in the tournament and was named to the all-tournament team.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season

Playoffs

College

Family Life

Anthony with his father, Greg, during the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

Cole Anthony's parents are Greg Anthony and Crystal McCrary. His stepfather is Raymond McGuire. Greg Anthony was a part of the 1989–90 UNLV national championship team and played in the NBA for 11 seasons. After playing, he became a sports analyst and broadcaster. Crystal McCrary worked as a lawyer before becoming an author and filmmaker.

See also

In Spanish: Cole Anthony para niños

• List of second-generation NBA players
• List of All-Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball teams