After 19 seasons and being named an NBA All-Star 10 times in his career, pro baller Carmelo Anthony has officially announced his retirement from basketball. He played his last game last season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Carmelo Anthony leaves behind an impressive career in basketball, retiring as the number 9 scorer in the league (which puts him in the conversation with the likes of Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan, to name a few); and amassing 28,289 points in as much time.
After one college season as a forward at Syracuse University, where he led the Orangemen to an NCAA championship, he was drafted as the number 3 draft pick in 2003, starting his pro career with the Denver Nuggets.
Speaking of Anthony’s tenure with the Denver Nuggets, Coach Michael Malone stated, “He wore that Nuggets jersey with pride and did a lot of great things while in a Denver Nuggets uniform, as well as all the other uniforms he wore in an illustrious career… When you think of Carmelo, you think of one of the more elite scorers in NBA history, a guy that from the D.C. metro area goes to Syracuse and wins a championship and comes into the NBA and was just a bucket-getter from day one.”
For as talented as Carmelo Anthony was on the court, he never took an NBA team to the Finals; but he contributed to the game in a major way, and he still amassed many titles, including leading the US to Olympic gold three times: Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Anthony released a retirement video on Monday to speak about his career and thank fans.
“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 Anthony.”
There was a wave of support and encouragement from players, coaches, and fans alike. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement, “Carmelo Anthony is one of the NBA’s all-time great players and ambassadors. We congratulate him on a remarkable 19-year career and look forward to seeing him in the Hall of Fame.”
