Prince Harry dwarfed by NBA royalty
Prince Harry dwarfed by NBA royalty, New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony at St James’s Palace on Wednesday.
The 6ft 8″ basketball star joined Prince William for a graduation ceremony at a British academy that teaches people how to coach basketball.
Posing for photos with the New York Knicks player, Harry looked like he needed a boost in order to make eye contact with the New Yorker – something the pair appeared to see the funny side of.
The prince, who was given a personalised training shirt by the athlete, burst into fits of laughter when Anthony also presented him with a single orange shoe.
Still chuckling, he promptly told a smiling Anthony that he would have to come to his upcoming game in London to collect the other one. “And I love the shirt,” he added.
“It was an honor,” Anthony told reporters.
“It’s royalty. You can feel it. When you come to London, you can feel the royalty. To be right there in front of him, you get that energy and vibe. You get the royal feeling.”
The duo were joined for the reception by Congolese basketball star Dikembe Mutombo, 48, who, at 7ft 1″, towered over Anthony as well, and British basketball player John Amaechi.
The reception at St James’s Palace was held in aid of the Core Coach programme, an apprentice scheme run for jobless young people by the Royal Foundation.
Speaking to the 33 newly qualified sports coaches who were trained via the programme, Harry said: ‘This is not where it ends but where it starts.
“When my brother, Catherine and I launched the Coach Core programme back in 2012, we had a vision of young people being inspired to become amazing sports coaches for their communities and beyond: Young people, who would in turn, inspire others to change their lives through sport.
“Like many others, we had been profoundly moved by the excitement of the London Olympics – a celebration of sporting achievement. Of course, this level of excellence is only possible through an immense amount of hard work by the athletes, their coaches, mentors and all those who support them on their journey to greatness.”
