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Carmelo Anthony, the former Knicks star and one of the greatest scorers in N.B.A. history, announced his retirement on Monday, calling the farewell after 19 seasons \u201cbittersweet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anthony, 38, last played in April 2022 as a reserve for the Los Angeles Lakers and spent the final few seasons of his career in more limited roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow the time has come for me to say goodbye, to the court where I made my name, to the game that gave me purpose and pride,\u201d Anthony said in a glossily produced video posted to social networks on Monday. The video included career highlights, with the song \u201cAll That I Got Is You\u201d by Ghostface Killah featuring Mary J. Blige in the background.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Anthony said he was \u201cexcited about what the future holds.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The Denver Nuggets drafted Anthony third overall out of Syracuse in 2003 after he led the school to a Division I N.C.A.A. national championship. Anthony might have been drafted higher if not for a player he would form a close friendship with: LeBron James, who went first overall to Cleveland.<\/p>\n
Anthony immediately demonstrated his prowess for scoring. His elite footwork, burly physique and quick release on his jumper from anywhere on the court made him difficult to guard. Paul Pierce, the Hall of Famer, said earlier this year that he would have rather guarded Kobe Bryant or James than Anthony.<\/p>\n Anthony led the Nuggets to the playoffs in his rookie year. He jab-stepped, up-faked and posted up his way to 10 All-Star Games and six All-N.B.A. teams. Anthony ended his career with 28,289 total points \u2014 good for ninth in N.B.A. history. He also won three Olympic gold medals and one bronze.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Many Knicks fans are particularly fond of Anthony, who was born in Brooklyn and pressured the Nuggets to trade him to New York in 2011 so he could team up with fellow All-Star Amar\u2019e Stoudemire. The move gave the fan base some optimism after a decade of incompetence from the front office.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The partnership never fully bore fruit, thanks mainly to injuries to Stoudemire. But Anthony did provide memorable performances at Madison Square Garden, including a game in 2014 in which he scored 62 points, a franchise record. Anthony also led the Knicks to one of their only playoff series wins of the century, in 2013 against the Boston Celtics.<\/p>\n All told, Anthony played for six teams: the Nuggets, Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers.<\/p>\n Anthony\u2019s career had several speed bumps.<\/p>\n He developed a reputation for lax defense and hogging the ball. His former Nuggets coach, George Karl, wrote in his 2017 memoir that Anthony \u201conly played hard on one side of the ball.\u201d And while Anthony\u2019s teams reliably made the playoffs, he made it as far as the conference finals only once, in 2009 with the Nuggets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Like many All-Stars before him, Anthony struggled to adjust to a drop-off in his game as he entered the back half of his career. After the Knicks traded him to Oklahoma City before the 2017-18 season, he appeared to have the best chance of his career to win a championship because he was teaming up with Paul George and Russell Westbrook, perennial All-Stars. But he scoffed at the idea of coming off the bench, and many fans blamed him when the team fizzled out early in the playoffs.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n