Carmelo Anthony, the ninth-highest scorer in the history of the NBA, has retired from basketball after 19 seasons.
The 38-year-old made his announcement 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 purpose was strong.
Carmelo Anthony, the ninth-highest scorer in NBA history, has retired from basketball
The 10-time All-Star announced his retirement in a video shared to social media on Monday
The 38-year-old recently attended his former team the New York Knicks’ game against Miami
‘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.
‘But now the time has come for me to say goodbye to the court where I made my name, to the game that gave me purpose and pride. But this bittersweet goodbye to the NBA, I am excited about what the future holds for me.
‘When people ask me what I believe my legacy is, it’s not my feats on the court that come to mind. Nor the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball.
‘My legacy, my son, that’s in you. I will forever continue through you. Because the time has come for you to carry this torch. So Kiyan, chase you dreams. Let nothing hold you back. Let nothing intervene.
‘My legacy, now and forever, lives on through you. And I will always be proud of all that you do. Peace.’
Anthony was selected out of Syracuse with the third overall pick by the Nuggets in the 2003 NBA Draft – in the same draft class as LeBron James.
He was part of the star-studded class that included James at No. 1, Hall of Famer Chris Bosh at No. 4, and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade – he gets officially enshrined this summer – at No. 5.
Anthony will join them at the Hall of Fame before long. He averaged 22.5 points in his 19 seasons, spending the bulk of those years with Denver and the New York Knicks. Anthony has long raved about his time with the Knicks, and what it was like playing at Madison Square Garden, especially as a kid who was born in Brooklyn.
The 10-time All-Star was taken in the same draft class as friend LeBron James (right)
Anthony was selected out of Syracuse with the third overall pick by the Nuggets in 2003 Draft
He was part of the star-studded class that included James at No. 1 and Dwayne Wade (R) at 5
The Brooklyn native raved about his time with the Knicks, and what it was like playing at MSG
‘The Garden,’ Anthony said in 2014. ‘They call it The Mecca for a reason.’
Anthony also played for Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and ended his career with the Lakers last season. He went unsigned this year, and now his retirement is official.
He brings the curtain down on a decorated career as a 10-time All-Star, with six All-NBA accolades across stints with the Knicks, Thunder, Rockets Trail Blazers and Lakers.
Only James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal scored more than Anthony.
Anthony was considered one of the best one and done players in college basketball, winning 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 college’s basketball practice facility bears his name.
His son, Kiyan, a highly-rated high school shooting guard, who he named in his retirement announcement as his ‘legacy’, is a class of 2025 recruit who could follow in his father’s footsteps, currently holding an offer for Syracuse.
Anthony named his son, Kiyan (left), in his retirement announcement as his ‘legacy’
Anthony was a member of the USA’s 2012 Olympic Gold medal-winning team (pictured L-R: Kevin Durant, Anthony, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant)
While he never got to the NBA Finals – he only played in the conference finals once, with Denver against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 – Anthony also knew what it was like to be a champion.
He helped USA Basketball win Olympic gold three times – at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
Anthony has played in 31 games in four appearances at the Olympics, the most of any U.S. men’s player ever. Anthony’s 37 points against Nigeria in the 2012 games is a USA Basketball men’s record at an Olympics, as are his 10 3-pointers from that game and his 13-for-13 effort from the foul line against Argentina in 2008.
He will remain part of international basketball for at least a few more months; Anthony is one of the ambassadors to the Basketball World Cup, FIBA’s biggest event, which will be held this summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
