NBA veteran Carmelo Anthony has announced his retirement from basketball after 19 seasons in the league, his final season being spent with the Los Angeles Lakers. The 10-time NBA all-star retires as the No. 9 scorer in league history, having amassed $260 million in playing salary and bonuses throughout his career. Although Anthony did not have an NBA Finals appearance, he reached the conference finals once with his first team, the Denver Nuggets.
Anthony's retirement video showed clips from his many years of playing basketball and referred to his 16-year-old son, Kiyan Anthony, continuing in his footsteps. Kiyan is a four-star shooting guard with offers from schools like Syracuse, Seton Hall, Indiana, and the University of Massachusetts.
Anthony played one year of college basketball and led Syracuse to a national championship in 2003, being recognized as the most outstanding player of the tournament’s final four. He was selected by the Denver Nuggets as the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft and eventually became the franchise’s No. 4 all-time scorer. During his time in the league, Anthony became a 10-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA selection. He played 31 games in the Olympics for the U.S. national basketball team, helping the team secure three gold medals.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver congratulated Anthony on his retirement and said he looks forward to seeing the veteran in the hall of fame. Anthony ranked 42nd on Forbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes in 2019, at $34 million in on- and off-court earnings.
Overall, Carmelo Anthony's retirement marks the end of a remarkable career that saw him become one of the league's most prolific scorers and an Olympic champion. The future looks bright for Kiyan Anthony, who seems to be following in his father's footsteps and has already received offers from several prestigious universities.