Carmelo Anthony, one of the best scorers in basketball history, has officially retired. Anthony, who played 19 seasons in NBA, announced his decision via a video posted on social media.
“Now the time has come for me to say goodbye … to the game that gave me purpose and pride,” said Melo in the clip.
Anthony retires after he spent the entire 2022-23 season out of the league. He last played with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2021–22, when he averaged 13.3 points in 69 games.
Anthony became a basketball star even before coming to the NBA, leading Syracuse to a national title and being named the 2003 NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He ended up being selected third overall in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Denver Nuggets.
Since then, Melo put together a Hall of Fame career that saw him receive 10 All-Star selections, be NBA scoring champion in 2013, and get selected in NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He also averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 1,260 career games with six different franchises.
The only thing missing from Anthony’s resume, besides the MVP award, is an NBA title. He was never in the NBA Finals and managed to reach the conference finals just once.
However, Melo got plenty of silverware with Team USA. He played for the national team at four Olympic Games and won three gold medals.
