TIME TO SAY GOODBYE
Carmelo Anthony says his legacy is his son as he retires from the NBA
The retired athlete is excited for his future
Carmelo Anthony has decided to retire from the NBA after 19 seasons. The 38-year-old baller made the announcement on Monday through social media, with a beautiful video that was shot by his longtime friend, Lebron James. “I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on a court and a dream of something more,” he says over old footage of him playing.
In the touching statement, Carmelo says his legacy is his son, Kiyan, who is a top high school prospect. He has a score of 84 for “Scout Grade” on ESPN and is class of 2025. “The time has come for you to carry on this torch,” Carmelo says. “So Kiy, chase your dreams. Let nothing hold you back. Let nothing intervene. My legacy, now and forever, lives on through you,” the proud father continued.
Anthony has never won a Championship, but he told Sports Illustrated, he’s “at peace.” “That doesn’t bother me anymore; 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,” he said.
At a press conference, James told reporters he shot the video a week before. “I shot the video like a week ago so I already knew the announcement was coming. I just didn’t know which game, and it happened today. But it’s still bittersweet,” the 38-year-old continued. Now that he is retiring, James is the only active player from the 2003 NBA draft class, per CBS Sports.
Who is Carmelo Anthony?
Born on May 29, 1984, in Brooklyn, New York, Carmelo to mixed-ethnic parents in the Red Hook housing projects. His father, Carmelo Iriarte, was African and Spanish, with some of his roots also traced to Venezuela. Carmelo’s mother, Mary, is African American, and his paternal grandparents were a Puerto Rican couple. Unfortunately, his father died when he was 2.
After his junior year of high school, the 6’5 athlete had Division 1 colleges ready to recruit him. He commited to Syracuse University before his senior year, and went on to play a pivotal role in leading them to its first-ever NCAA championship in 2003.
That same year, he was scouted by the NBA. He was the third overall pick at the NBA draft in 2003, and he started his career playing for the Denver Nuggets until 2011. He went on play for the New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers, and the Los Angeles Lakers.
He shares Kiyan with his ex-partner La La Anthony. Their love story began in the early 2000s, and they welcomed their son Kiyan on March 7, 2007. They said ‘I do“ in 2010.
They separated in 2017, with La La officially filing for divorce in June 2021.
