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Former Syracuse forward Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from the NBA on Tuesday morning via Twitter. Anthony played professionally for 19 seasons and was a 10-time All Star.

Thank you #STAYME7O pic.twitter.com/4au8cOd13s

— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) May 22, 2023

Anthony came to SU in summer 2002 as a highly touted freshman along with guard Gerry McNamara. The freshmen duo led the Orange to a 23-4 regular season record and three seed in the 2003 NCAA tournament. In 35 games with SU, Anthony averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds per game and became the 91st highest scorer in program history.

In the tournament, Anthony was the leading scorer as the Orange, posting a 20-point performance against Oklahoma in the Elite 8 and a 33-point performance against Texas in the Final Four. In the national championship against Kansas, he led all players with 20 points, securing Jim Boeheim’s first and only national championship. Anthony has since returned to Syracuse for his jersey retirement and the 20th anniversary of the national title win.

But he only stayed one season in Syracuse, opting to play in the NBA. In the 2003 NBA draft, which featured other future greats like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Denver Nuggets selected Anthony third overall. In eight seasons with the Nuggets, Anthony became the third best scorer in franchise history and led the team to seven postseason appearances.

Anthony also had a prolific career at the Olympics, playing for the United States four times. He won three gold medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016, as well as a bronze medal in 2004. As of April 2016, he was the US Olympic team’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and games played.

Midway through the 2010-11 season, the Nuggets traded Anthony to the New York Knicks. By the end of the 2012-13 season, Anthony became the league’s leading scorer. New York struggled to build around him and only made the postseason three times during his tenure. Anthony won one playoff series over his seven seasons with the Knicks.

In September 2017, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded for Anthony. In the last five seasons of his career, he played for four different teams, most recently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers. Anthony did not play on a team in the 2022-23 season. He leaves the NBA as the 11th highest scorer ever and was named to the 75th Anniversary Team, which listed the 75 greatest players in league history.

Published on May 22, 2023 at 11:23 am

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