Author: Monojit Mandal
Carmelo Anthony, the celebrated power forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his only college season and had a phenomenal 19-year career in the NBA, has announced his retirement. Despite not playing in the NBA this season, Anthony will be remembered as the league’s tenth all-time leading scorer.
Anthony ended his career with 28,289 points, surpassing all but eight players in NBA history: LeBron-James, Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar, Karl-Malone, Kobe-Bryant, Michael-Jordan, Dirk-Nowitzki, Wilt-Chamberlain and Shaquille-O’Neal. His achievements place him among basketball’s elite, as he was considered one of the 75 best players in NBA history, a 10-time All-Star, scoring champion and six-time All-NBA selection.
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Although Anthony has never played in the NBA Finals, he has tasted victory elsewhere. In particular, when he led Syracuse to the national title in 2003, he received the Final Four Most Valuable Player award. In addition, Anthony helped USA Basketball win Olympic gold medals at three different Olympics: Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
His international success continues, with 31 games played in four Olympic appearances, the most by a US men’s player. Anthony’s extraordinary effort against Nigeria in 2012, in which he scored 37 points and made 10 three-pointers, set many Olympic men’s basketball records for the USA.
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Although Anthony may be leaving the NBA, he will remain active in basketball abroad for the foreseeable future. Anthony will remain connected to the world sports scene as one of the ambassadors of the Basketball World Cup, FIBA’s flagship event. The next tournament, which will be held this summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, will demonstrate his commitment to the sport, which extends beyond his playing career.
Anthony was selected third overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2003, joining a stellar class that included LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. Anthony’s incredible career will take him to the Hall of Fame, among these basketball greats.
In addition to his tenure with Denver and the Knicks, Anthony had stints with the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and ended his career with the Lakers last season. Despite not having signed a contract this year, Anthony’s retirement was formally announced.