Basketball icon Carmelo Anthony, regarded as one of the NBA’s all-time great players, has declared his retirement from the sport.
The 38-year-old last competed with the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021/22 season but did not participate in the league this year.
Over the course of his illustrious career, spanning 19 NBA seasons, Anthony attained numerous accolades, including 10 All-Star Game selections and 6 appearances in the All-NBA team.
Making the announcement through a social media video, he also highlighted his achievement as the NBA scoring champion during the 2012/13 season, with an impressive average of 28.7 points per game.
He retires as the No. 9 scorer in NBA history. He retires with 28,289 points. Anthony also won three gold medals with the USA Basketball team in 2008, 2012, and 2016.
He suited up for the Nuggets (2003-2011), Knicks (2011-2017), Thunder (2017-2018), Rockets (2018-2019), Trail Blazers (2019-2021) and Lakers (2021-2022).
His legacy is solid in the NBA. He was named as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history. Nevertheless, he never got to the NBA Finals. He reached the conference finals in 2009 with the Nuggets, but they lost to the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers, per ESPN.
What Anthony said
In his emotional video announcement, Anthony was thankful
“I remember the days when I had nothing. Just a ball on the court and a dream of something more. But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way.
I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthon. But now the time has come for me to say goodbye. To the court where I made my name, to the game that gave me purpose and pride. With this bittersweet goodbye to the NBA,” via the Athletic.
Thank you #STAYME7O pic.twitter.com/4au8cOd13s
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) May 22, 2023
Anthony was drafted No. 3 overall by the Nuggets in 2003 and was part of the star-studded class that included LeBron James at No. 1, Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at No. 4, and Dwyane Wade at No. 5.
Anthony and James watch their sons
Sports Brief earlier reported on Anthony and James watching their sons face off in high school.
LeBron’s sons, Bronny and Bryce James, and Carmelo’s son Kiyan Anthony stole the show in an exciting high school basketball game in December 2022.
Kiyan Anthony ended with 10 points, but he was slightly overshadowed by the impressive display of Bronny James, who had 12 points.