After 19 seasons, Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from the NBA. The Brooklyn-born baller posted a video on Instagram bidding farewell to the game that he’ll hold close to his heart forever and stated that his legacy will now live on through his son Kiyan. “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,” Anthony stated in his clip.
Anthony is one of the most decorated ballers to have ever touched the hardwood and he leaves the game finishing as the number nine scorer in league history with 28,289 points behind Shaquille O’Neal. In 2003, he led the Syracuse Orange to an NCAA national title and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Tournament. Throughout his 19-year career in the Association, he was a 10-time All-Star, one-time scoring champion, six-time All-NBA select, three-time Olympic Gold Medalist and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Anthony was also one of Jordan Brand‘s most coveted basketball athletes, had a signature sneaker line that spanned 13 models and was known to bust out a plethora of striking player exclusives both on and off the court.
Throughout his tenure in the Association, he was known for being one of the league’s most dynamic scorers and averaged 22.5 points per game. The majority of his career was spent with the Denver Nuggets and the New York Knicks where he would bully defenders with his strength in the low-post and shoot the lights out from beyond the arc, the latter of which was often followed up by his signature “threes to the dome” celebration. Anthony also played for the Portland Trailblazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers.
While he won’t be suited up in an NBA uniform anymore, Anthony still plans to remain close to the game. Aside from guiding his son to hopefully one day make it into the league, he’ll serve as a steward for the next generation of players, both in the United States and abroad, through his role as a Global Ambassador for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Check out his full retirement announcement here below.
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