Carmelo Anthony retired from the NBA this week after not playing in the league this season. The Syracuse product will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer one day despite not winning a ring and Anthony is finally at peace about that.
“I’m at peace,” Anthony told Chris Herring of Sports Illustrated. “That doesn’t bother me no more; that idea that you’re a loser if you don’t win a championship. For me, I’ve won. I won back in 2003, the night I shook David Stern’s hand on that [draft] stage. I made it out of Red Hook. I’ve won at life. The ring is the only thing I didn’t get. It would’ve been a great accomplishment, but I don’t regret it, because I feel like I did everything I could to get it.”
Anthony played for the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Los Angeles Lakers during his career. He averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while making 10 All-Star teams and six All-NBA teams.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks & Denver Nuggets Updates
The closest Anthony got to making the NBA Finals was in 2009 when the Nuggets reached the Western Conference Finals. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won that series in six games.
Anthony is ninth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 28,289 points. He will go down as one of the greatest players in NBA history and the legend is ready to be a full-time dad now.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks & Denver Nuggets Updates
“I always told him, ’When you get to high school, I’m retiring.’ That was always our thing,” Anthony said. “Then [as he started high school] the Lakers called, and he told me, ‘Dad, I’ll be O.K.—you should go.’ Even with LeBron there, I wouldn’t have done it without Kiyan pushing me. So to be able to spend time with him in the gym, on his work ethic? With school? I can be a father to him every day. It’s perfect timing.”
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