A year ago, Carmelo Anthony was an important role player on the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 13.3 points off the bench as one of L.A.’s most consistent three-point threats. However, this year he was without a team as L.A. looked to get younger and, after a season away from the game, he came to the realization that it was time to call it a career.
On Monday morning, Anthony posted a video to his social media accounts announcing his retirement from the NBA after 19 seasons, with the future Hall of Famer thanking fans for their support over his nearly two-decade long career.
Thank you #STAYME7O pic.twitter.com/4au8cOd13s
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) May 22, 2023
Anthony concludes the video by noting his legacy will live on through his son Kiyan, as well as noting he’s excited for his next chapter off the court, and he truly seems to be at peace with this being it for his playing career. That’s important because there was a time where Anthony was not in that place, but had been bounced out of the league after a rough (and brief) stint in Houston. He was able to revive his career for three more years thanks to embracing a role as a knockdown shooter in Portland, and seems to have written his last on-court chapter in the way he wanted.
Carmelo will finish his NBA career with 28,289 points, good for 11th all-time, and he has made his mark in the top-30 of the NBA record books in a variety of offensive categories. When he’s eligible, Anthony is a lock for the Hall of Fame based on his terrific NBA career as well as his one season at Syracuse, where he led the Orange to a national title as a freshman, and his work with USA Basketball winning three Olympic gold medals.
