One of the greatest to ever do it has called it a career.
Carmelo Anthony, who is not on an NBA roster this season, officially has retired from the league. Melo posted a video to his social media accounts, telling the story of his retirement with Ghostface Killah’s classic “All That I Got Is You,” featuring Mary J. Blige, playing in the background.
“Now the time has come for me to say goodbye … to the game that gave me purpose and pride,” Anthony said.
Melo Is A First Ballot Hall Of Famer
Melo, one of the best bucket getters the game has ever seen, played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association, was a 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, and the scoring champ in 2013.
He is ninth all-time in scoring with 28,289 points.
As an 18-year-old freshman at Syracuse, he was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 Final Four when he led the team to the national championship.
He helped USA Basketball win Olympic gold three times at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Melo is second all-time in scoring for Team USA men’s basketball in the Olympics.
“I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dream of something more,” Anthony said. “But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony.”
Melo was drafted third overall in 2003 by the Denver Nuggets, in the same draft class as his best buddies LeBron James (1st) and Dwyane Wade (5th). He led the Nuggets to the conference finals in 2009, when the Nuggets lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.
He was traded to the New York Knicks in the 2010-11 season and joined Amar’e Stoudemire to form one of the team’s more famous duos: “Stat and Melo.”
On Jan. 24, 2014, Melo had one of his best moments as a member of the Knicks. He scored a career-high 62 points at Madison Square Garden against the Charlotte Bobcats. Melo was 23-25 from the field, 6-11 from three and a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line, and he grabbed 10 rebounds.
Melo Works For Social Justice Causes Off Court
Off the floor, Melo is an advocate for social justice causes. He, LeBron and Wade spoke out about Trayvon Martin’s killing at the ESPYs. Melo marched for Freddie Gray, who was killed by police in Baltimore, Maryland.
He was the inaugural winner of the NBA’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award. The award is given to players who are making strides in the fight for social justice, and is named after one of the league’s social justice champions.
Melo concluded his video announcement regarding his retirement by talking about his son, Kiyan. The 6’5″ guard is a member of the class of 2025, and recently played for NYC powerhouse Christ The King School; the sophomore now plays for Long Island Lutheran.
“People ask what I believe my legacy is,” Anthony said. “It’s not my feats on the court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son … I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch.”
Melo also played for the Portland Trailblazers, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Houston Rockets. He ended his career with the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
