Carmelo Anthony announces his retirement from basketball at age 38, leaving the game as the NBA’s ninth-highest point scorer of all time
- Carmelo Anthony was a 10-time All-Star, scoring 28,289 points with six teams
- The 38-year-old announced this on social media on Monday morning
- DailyMail.com provides all the latest international sports news
Carmelo Anthony, the ninth-highest scorer in NBA history, has retired from basketball after 19 seasons.
The 38-year-old announced this on social media on Monday morning.
Anthony was a 10-time All-Star who scored 28,289 points with six different teams. He did not play this season and last played with the Lakers in 2021-22.
Anthony played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers before joining the Lakers.
“I remember the days when I had nothing,” Anthony said in the video. ‘Just a ball on a court and a dream of something more. Basketball was my outlet. My aim was strong.
Carmelo Anthony, the ninth-highest scorer in NBA history, has retired from basketball
The 10-time All-Star announced his retirement on Monday in a video shared on social media
The 38-year-old recently attended the game of his former team, the New York Knicks, against Miami
My communities, the cities I was proud to represent and the fans who supported me along the way. I am eternally grateful to those people and places for making me Carmelo Anthony.
“But now the time has come for me to say goodbye to the field where I made a name for myself, to the game that gave me purpose and pride. But this bittersweet farewell to the NBA, I’m excited for what the future holds for me.
“When people ask me what my legacy is, I don’t think about my performance on the pitch. Nor the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball.
“My legacy, my son, is in you. I will go on forever through you. Because it’s time to carry this torch. So Kiyan, chase your dreams. Don’t let anything stop you. Don’t let anything interfere.
“My legacy, now and forever, lives on through you. And I will always be proud of everything you do. Peace.’
Anthony was selected from Syracuse with the third overall pick by the Nuggets in the 2003 NBA Draft – in the same draft class as LeBron James.
He closes the curtain on a decorated career as a 10-time All-Star, with six All-NBA honors with the Knicks, Thunder, Rockets Trail Blazers and Lakers.
Anthony called his son, Kiyan (left), his ‘legacy’ in his retirement announcement
The 10-time All-Star was drafted into the same draft class as friend LeBron James (right)
Considered one of the best and best players in college basketball, Anthony won the 2002-03 National Championship with Syracuse.
He was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player as a true freshman while averaging 22.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game that year.
He has continued to support the Orange since leaving, and the university’s basketball practice facility bears his name.
His son, Kiyan, whom he referred to as his “legacy” in his retirement announcement, is a class of 2025 recruit who could follow in his father’s footsteps, currently with a bid for Syracuse.