Carmelo Anthony, NBA legend and one of many league's most prolific scorers, retires after 19 seasons

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

Anthony, who was not within the NBA this season, retires because the ninth main 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 ends his profession with 28,289 factors.

“Now the time has come to say goodbye … to the sport that gave me objective and satisfaction,” Anthony mentioned in a videotaped message asserting his choice, one he referred to as “bittersweet.”

Anthony’s legacy has lengthy been safe: he ends his enjoying days after being chosen as one of many 75 Best Gamers in NBA Historical past, a 10-time All-Star, a former scoring champion, and a six-time All-NBA .

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

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

Anthony has performed in 31 video games in 4 Olympic Video games appearances, probably the most of any US male participant in historical past. Anthony’s 37 factors in opposition to Nigeria within the 2012 video games is a USA Basketball males’s file in an Olympiad, as are his 10 3-pointers from that recreation and his 13-of-13 effort from the free throw line in opposition to Argentina in 2008.

“Carmelo Anthony is likely one of the NBA’s all-time nice gamers and ambassadors,” mentioned NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “We congratulate him on a exceptional 19-year profession and look ahead to seeing him within the Corridor of Fame.”

Anthony will proceed to be part of worldwide basketball for at the least a couple of extra months; Anthony is likely one of the ambassadors of the Basketball World Cup, FIBA’s greatest occasion, which is able to happen this summer time within the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

“I keep in mind the times after I had nothing, only a ball on the court docket and a dream of one thing extra,” Anthony mentioned. “However basketball was my outlet. My objective was robust, my communities, the cities I proudly represented, and the followers who supported me alongside the best way. I’ll all the time be thankful for these folks and locations as a result of they made me Carmelo Anthony.”

Anthony was drafted No. 3 general 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 future Corridor of Famer of Dwyane Wade Fame. he formally enshrines himself this summer time, at No. 5.

Anthony will be part of them within the Corridor of Fame earlier than lengthy. He averaged 22.5 factors in his 19 seasons, spending most of these years with Denver and the New York Knicks. Anthony has lengthy been enthusiastic about his time with the Knicks and the way he was enjoying at Madison Sq. Backyard, particularly as a child who was born in Brooklyn.

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

Anthony has additionally performed for Portland, Oklahoma Metropolis, Houston and completed his profession with the Lakers final season. He did not signal this 12 months, and now his withdrawal is official.

He mentioned in his retirement speech that he’s trying ahead to the event of his son Kiyan, a highly-rated taking pictures guard out of highschool.