Carmelo Anthony retires after 19-year NBA career, 3 Olympic gold medals

CarmeloAnthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championshipin his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in theNBA,announced hisretirementon Monday.

Anthony, whowas not in the NBA this season, retires as the No. 9 scorer inleague history.

Only LeBronJames, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, MichaelJordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal scoredmore than Anthony — who finishes his career with 28,289 points.

“Now the timehas come for me to say good-bye ... to the game that gave mepurpose and pride,” Anthony said in a videotaped message announcinghis decision — one he called “bittersweet.”

Anthony’slegacy has long been secure: He ends his playing days after beingselected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, a10-time All-Star, a past scoring champion and a six-time All-NBAselection.

And while henever got to the NBA Finals — he only played in the conferencefinals once, with Denver against the eventual champion Los AngelesLakers in 2009 — Anthony also knew what it was like to be achampion.

He was theMost Outstanding Player of the 2003 Final Four when he led Syracuseto the national championship, and he helped USA Basketball winOlympic gold three times — at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

Anthony hasplayed in 31 games in four appearances at the Olympics, the most ofany U.S. men’s player ever. Anthony’s 37 points against Nigeria inthe 2012 games is a USA Basketball men’s record at an Olympics, asare his 10 3-pointers from that game and his 13-for-13 effort fromthe foul line against Argentina in 2008.

“CarmeloAnthony is one of the NBA’s all-time great players andambassadors,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said. “We congratulatehim on a remarkable 19-year career and look forward to seeing himin the Hall of Fame.”

Anthony willremain part of international basketball for at least a few moremonths; Anthony is one of the ambassadors to the Basketball WorldCup, FIBA’s biggest event, which will be held this summer in thePhilippines, Japan and Indonesia.

“I rememberthe days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dreamof something more,” Anthony said. “But basketball was my outlet. Mypurpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented withpride and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forevergrateful for those people and places because they made me CarmeloAnthony.”

Anthony wasdrafted No. 3 overall by Denver in 2003, part of the star-studdedclass 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 officiallyenshrined this summer — at No. 5.

Anthony willjoin them at the Hall of Fame before long. He averaged 22.5 pointsin his 19 seasons, spending the bulk of those years with Denver andthe New York Knicks. Anthony has long raved about his time with theKnicks, and what it was like playing at Madison Square Garden,especially as a kid who was born in Brooklyn.

“The Garden,”Anthony said in 2014. “They call it The Mecca for a reason.”

Anthony alsoplayed for Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and ended his careerwith the Lakers last season. He went unsigned this year, and nowhis retirement is official.

He said inhis retirement address that he’s looking forward to watching thedevelopment of his son Kiyan, a highly rated high school shootingguard.

“People askwhat I believe my legacy is,” Anthony said. “It’s not my feats onthe court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because mystory has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son ... Iwill forever continue through you. The time has come for you tocarry this torch.”