Carmelo Anthony retires after 19-year NBA profession, 3 Olympic gold medals

Carmelo
Anthony, the star ahead who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship
in his lone school season and went on to spend 19 years within the
NBA, introduced his
retirement on Monday.

Anthony, who
was not within the NBA this season, retires because the No. 9 scorer in
league historical past.

Solely LeBron
James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael
Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal scored
greater than Anthony — who finishes his profession with 28,289 factors.

“Now the time
has come for me to say goodbye … to the sport that gave me
function and satisfaction,” Anthony stated in a videotaped message asserting
his resolution — one he known as “bittersweet.”

Anthony’s
legacy has lengthy been safe: He ends his taking part in days after being
chosen as one of many 75 best gamers in NBA historical past, a
10-time All-Star, a previous scoring champion and a six-time All-NBA
choice.

And whereas he
by no means acquired to the NBA Finals — he solely performed within the convention
finals as soon as, with Denver towards the eventual champion Los Angeles
Lakers in 2009 — Anthony additionally knew what it was prefer to be a
champion.

He was the
Most Excellent Participant of the 2003 Closing 4 when he led Syracuse
to the nationwide championship, and he helped USA Basketball win
Olympic gold thrice — at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012
and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Anthony has
performed in 31 video games in 4 appearances on the Olympics, essentially the most of
any U.S. males’s participant ever. Anthony’s 37 factors towards Nigeria in
the 2012 video games is a USA Basketball males’s file at an Olympics, as
are his 10 3-pointers from that sport and his 13-for-13 effort from
the foul line towards Argentina in 2008.

“Carmelo
Anthony is without doubt one of the NBA’s all-time nice gamers and
ambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated. “We congratulate
him on a outstanding 19-year profession and stay up for seeing him
within the Corridor of Fame.”

Anthony will
stay a part of worldwide basketball for at the very least a couple of extra
months; Anthony is without doubt one of the ambassadors to the Basketball World
Cup, FIBA’s largest occasion, which will probably be held this summer time within the
Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

“I keep in mind
the times after I had nothing, only a ball on the courtroom and a dream
of one thing extra,” Anthony stated. “However basketball was my outlet. My
function was sturdy, my communities, the cities I represented with
satisfaction and the followers that supported me alongside the best way. I’m perpetually
grateful for these folks and locations as a result of they made me Carmelo
Anthony.”

Anthony was
drafted No. 3 total by Denver in 2003, a part of the star-studded
class that included James at No. 1, Corridor of Famer Chris Bosh at No.
4, and soon-to-be Corridor of Famer Dwyane Wade — he will get formally
enshrined this summer time — at No. 5.

Anthony will
be part of them on the Corridor of Fame earlier than lengthy. He averaged 22.5 factors
in his 19 seasons, spending the majority of these years with Denver and
the New York Knicks. Anthony has lengthy raved about his time with the
Knicks, and what it was like taking part in at Madison Sq. Backyard,
particularly as a child who was born in Brooklyn.

“The Backyard,”
Anthony stated in 2014. “They name it The Mecca for a purpose.”

Anthony additionally
performed for Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and ended his profession
with the Lakers final season. He went unsigned this 12 months, and now
his retirement is official.

He stated in
his retirement handle that he’s trying ahead to watching the
improvement of his son Kiyan, a extremely rated highschool capturing
guard.

“Folks ask
what I imagine my legacy is,” Anthony stated. “It’s not my feats on
the courtroom that come to thoughts, all of the awards or reward. As a result of my
story has all the time been greater than basketball. My legacy, my son … I
will perpetually proceed by you. The time has come so that you can
carry this torch.”