Carmelo Anthony officially retired from the NBA on May 22, ending a 19-year career as one of the deadliest shooters to ever play in the league. There were many accolades that came alongside Anthony’s career – 10 all-star appearances, and six All-NBA team nominations. However, the one thing that Anthony ends his career without is an NBA ring.
Despite Anthony’s talent, the various teams in his career were never quite in title contention. The closest Melo came was in the 2008-09 season, when the Denver Nuggets reached the Western Conference Finals. However, the Nuggets fell to the eventual champion Lakers in six games.
No Rings, No Regrets for Melo
However, Melo has no regrets about retiring without a ring. “I’m at peace,” Melo said to 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,” Anthony said. “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.”
Now, Anthony turns his attention to his son. Sixteen-year-old Kiyan Anthony currently has 11 collegiate offers, including from Melo’s alma mater Syracuse as well as the likes of Tennessee, Memphis, UMass, and Illinois. However, Melo also revealed that his one season with the Lakers, his last season in the NBA, was because of Kiyan. Despite vowing to retire when Kiyan started high school, his son pushed him for one last season. “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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