At almost 39 years old, and without a club this season, Carmelo Anthony announced that he was retiring, without having won an NBA title but with three Olympic gold medals around his neck.
He will turn 39 in a week, and Carmelo Anthony felt it was time to say stop. The talented American winger (or strong winger) announced on Monday that he was retiring, after spending the 2022-23 season without a club. “I remember the days when I had nothing. Just a ball on a pitch with a dream of something more. But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I proudly represented, and the fans who supported me along the way. I am forever grateful to these people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony. But now the time has come for me to say goodbye. … With this bittersweet farewell to the NBA, I’m excited for what the future holds,” the New York native says in a video posted to social media.
Only one round of play-offs spent with the Knicks
Chosen in third position during the famous Draft 2003 (that of LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade…), the one who had only spent a year at Syracuse University landed in Denver, where he quickly became a idol. He spent seven and a half seasons in Colorado, including a 2006-07 season averaging 28.9 points. But at the Nuggets, he systematically lost in the first round of the play-offs, except in 2009 when they were eliminated in the Conference final by the Lakers. In February 2011, Carmelo Anthony, who wanted to leave, was sent to the Knicks. But in his hometown, where he remained until 2017, “Melo” fared no better than in Denver. On the contrary ! Even if he still signed a season with 28.7 points on average (in 2012-13), the Knicks won only one round of the play-offs in his presence (in 2013 against Boston). The beginning of the end for the player, who for many years remained faithful to his first two teams, but then changed teams often.
Anthony 9th best scorer in history
In 2017, he joined Russell Westbrook and Paul George in Oklahoma City but only stayed one season (16.2 pts average) before being sent to Atlanta, where he did not play, and finally to Houston, where he reunited with James Harden and Chris Paul, but only played ten games before being sent to Chicago… where he did not play. In November 2019, Carmelo Anthony joined Portland, where he stayed for two years (15.4 then 13.4 pts on average) before finishing last season with the Lakers (13.3 pts). “Melo” will therefore not have won an NBA title or even played in any final, but he will be remembered as the ninth best scorer in the League in the regular season with 28,289 points (an average of 22.5 per season! ). Selected ten times for the All Star Game (between 2007 and 2017) and top scorer in the 2012-13 season, Carmelo Anthony also had an excellent career at international level, winning the gold medal at the 2008, 2012 and 2016, a record! From now on, he will carefully follow the possible career of his son Kiyan (16), whose performances during his matches in high school seem promising.
