Carmelo Anthony Says Stevie Wonder Told Him He Loved Watching Him Play

Carmelo Anthony says Stevie Wonder -- who, newsflash, is blind -- once told him he loved WATCHING him play basketball.

The hilarious revelation came on Melo's "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast ... when the hooper was asked by co-host The Kid Mero for the name of someone famous who expressed their fandom of the future Hall of Famer.

That's when Melo began to tell the story of his 2011 meeting with the legendary musician over All-Star Weekend.

"We in the [locker room], 'Yo, Stevie Wonder wanna meet the players,'" Anthony explained. "I come out, [Stevie] said, 'I love watching you play!'"

Ok, so what? Melo's lethal with a basketball in his hands. Everyone likes watching him play.   Only issue is ... Stevie lost his eyesight as a newborn.

Everyone on the show busted out laughing ... but Melo swore the interaction really went down the way he told it.

Jokes aside, Wonder is one of the greatest musicians of all time ... with millions of records sold and just about every award to his name, including 25 Grammys (most by a male solo artist).

The 74-year-old is also in the R&B Music Hall of Fame and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ... and was honored with the President Medal of Freedom in 2014.