Carmelo Anthony Officially Announces Retirement from NBA

Posted on May 22, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the end of an era for Carmelo Anthony…

The 38-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, has announced his retirement.

Anthony, who was not in the NBA this season, retires as the No. 9 scorer in league history.

Only LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal scored more than Anthony, who finishes his career with 28,289 points.

“Now the time has come for me to say goodbye … to the game that gave me purpose and pride,” Anthony said in a videotaped message announcing his decision — one he called “bittersweet.”

Anthony’s legacy has long been secure: He ends his playing days after being selected as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history, a 10-time NBA All-Star, a past scoring champion and a six-time All-NBA selection.

And while he never got to the NBA Finals — he only played in the conference finals once, with Denver against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 — Anthony also knew what it was like to be a champion.

He was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2003 Final Four when he led Syracuse to the national championship, and he helped the U.S. win Olympic gold three times — at Beijing in 2008, at London in 2012 and at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

His college coach at Syracuse, the now-retired Jim Boeheim, tweeted a “welcome to retirement” message to his former star.

“I am honored to have been a part of your legendary career, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for you,” Boeheim wrote.

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

“Carmelo Anthony is one of the NBA’s all-time great players and ambassadors,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “We congratulate him on a remarkable 19-year career and look forward to seeing him in the Hall of Fame.”

Anthony will remain part of international basketball for at least a few more months; Anthony is one of the ambassadors to the Basketball World Cup, FIBA‘s biggest event, which will be held this summer in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

“I remember the days when I had nothing, just a ball on the court and a dream of something more,” Anthony said. “But basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented with pride and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony.”

Anthony was drafted No. 3 overall by Denver in 2003, part of the star-studded class 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 officially enshrined this summer — at No. 5.

Anthony will join them at the Hall of Fame before long — the Hall of Fame said he will be eligible for the 2026 class. He averaged 22.5 points in his 19 seasons, spending the bulk of those years with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. Anthony has long raved about his time with the Knicks, and what it was like playing at Madison Square Garden, especially as a kid who was born in Brooklyn.

He was the NBA’s leading scorer with 28.7 points per game in 2012-13, when the Knicks won 54 games and the Atlantic Division title.

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

Anthony spent his first 7½ NBA seasons in Denver, becoming the third-leading scorer in franchise history. His Nuggets teams had seven consecutive winning seasons and earned seven playoff berths, but they advanced in the postseason just once, ending in that six-game conference finals loss to the Lakers in 2009.

“He wore that Nuggets jersey with pride and did a lot of great things while in a Denver Nuggets uniform, as well as all the other uniforms he wore in an illustrious career,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday before Denver faced the Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, hoping to clinch the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance. “When you think of Carmelo, you think of one of the more elite scorers in NBA history, a guy that from the D.C. metro area goes to Syracuse and wins a championship and comes into the NBA and was just a bucket-getter from day one.”

Anthony also played for Portland, Oklahoma City, Houston and ended his career with the Lakers last season. He went unsigned this year, and now his retirement is official.

He said in his retirement address that he’s looking forward to watching the development of his son Kiyan, a highly rated high school shooting guard.

“People ask what I believe my legacy is,” Anthony said. “It’s not my feats on the court that come to mind, all the awards or praise. Because my story has always been more than basketball. My legacy, my son … I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch.”

Juan Toscano-Anderson to Take Part in NBA’s AT&T Slam Dunk Contest

Posted on February 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Toscano-Anderson is preparing for a slammin’ time…

The 28-year-old Mexican-American professional basketball player and Golden State Warriors forward has been selected to participate in the NBA’s 2022 AT&T Slam Dunk.

The competition will take place on Saturday, February 19 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

The AT&T Slam Dunk is part of State Farm All-Star Saturday Night, which also features the Taco Bell Skills Challenge and the MTN DEW 3-Point Contest.

All-Star Saturday Night will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio at 5:00 pm PT.

Toscano-Anderson is averaging 4.6 points on 49.2 percent from the field to go with 2.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 15.0 minutes over 52 games (five starts) this season.

The third-year forward is just the fourth player in franchise history to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest, joining Harrison Barnes (2014), Jason Richardson (2002-04) and Otis Smith (1988).

Richardson won the event in 2002 and 2003. Toscano-Anderson, who played four years at Marquette University from 2011-15, is set to become the fourth player not selected in the NBA Draft to compete in the AT&T Slam Dunk since 2000, joining Chris Andersen, Derrick Jones Jr. and Jamario Moon.

Joining Toscano-Anderson in the Dunk Contest are Cole Anthony (Orlando Magic), Jalen Green (Houston Rockets) and Obi Toppin (New York Knicks).

Carmelo Anthony Agrees to One-Year Deal with Los Angeles Lakers

Posted on August 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony is ready to play ball in LA…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player, a recent free-agent forward, has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony’s manager, Bay Frazier, tells ESPN.

The deal is for one season, according to Frazier. Anthony’s agent, Aaron Mintz of CAA Sports, completed the agreement with Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on Tuesday.

Anthony, who moved up to No. 10 on the NBA‘s career scoring list last season, rehabbed his career in two seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers after being out of the league for a year following an ill-fated stint with the Houston Rockets.

The 18-year veteran flourished in a bench role with the Blazers last season, averaging 13.4 points in 24.5 minutes per game while shooting a career-best 40.9% from 3.

Anthony entered into the league with LeBron James in the famed 2003 draft class, and the two have maintained a close friendship.

Anthony has earned more than $260 million in salary in his career and is a 10-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection and three-time Olympic gold medalist.

Success has eluded him on the postseason stage, though. In 13 career playoff appearances, Anthony’s teams have made the conference finals just once, and he has yet to play in the NBA Finals.

After being traded by the New York Knicks to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017, Anthony had an up-and-down season with the Thunder as the team failed to meet expectations. He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks the next offseason, then immediately waived.

He signed with the Rockets, agreeing to play a long-anticipated bench role for the contenders led by James Harden and Chris Paul, but was waived after just 10 games. Anthony wasn’t signed by another team that season, casting doubt on the future of his NBA career.

A surefire future Hall of Famer, Anthony currently sits at 27,370 points, just 39 points behind Moses Malone for ninth.

Carmelo Anthony Launching “What’s In Your Glass?” Podcast

Posted on July 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony is expanding his creative empire…

The 37-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player and NBA All-Star is moving into the world of podcasting.

The former New York Knicks star and his content company Creative 7 have teamed up with Audacy-owned Cadence13 to launch the What’s In Your Glass? podcast.

Anthony, who is in the top ten of all time scorers in the league, is adapting the wine-focused YouTube series into audio form.

On the series, which will launch on July 22 and be available across podcast platforms and on YouTube, he’ll talk wine with the likes of Mark Cuban, Andra Day, Shaka King, T-Pain, and JJ Redick.

He’ll talk to guests from the worlds of sports, wine, business, entertainment, music, politics, and more over a glass or two as well as spearhead in-depth conversations about the timely issues facing our society including social justice.

Anthony is at the forefront of a growing wine movement in the NBA, widely considered the unofficial wine ambassador to the league and responsible for increasing the interest of the likes of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Paul during a 2015 boat trip.

“I’m excited to be working with Cadence13 to bring back What’s In Your Glass? in a brand new format and introduce it to the world of audio,” said Anthony. “We have some incredible conversations lined up, so I can’t wait for listeners to pour a glass and join us each week as we talk about life, current events, and of course, all-things wine.”

“We’re thrilled to partner with world-class athlete, and a leading voice for social justice, Carmelo Anthony as he continues to achieve greatness on and off the court,” added Chris Corcoran, Chief Content Officer. “As he explores his passion for wine and more, we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Carmelo to the Cadence13 family and listen to these conversations.”

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-in-your-glass/id1576873726

Carmelo Anthony Moves Into Top 10 on NBA All-Time Scoring List

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony is movin’ on up…

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player, who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers, has moved into the top 10 all time in NBA scoring, passing Elvin Hayes.

With 11:09 left in the second quarter against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Anthony isolated on the right wing and pulled up from 3, plus the foul. After his trademark move of hitting the side of his head with three fingers, Anthony raised both arms in the air as a quick acknowledgement of the accomplishment.

It was his third 3 of the first half, giving him 12 points. Anthony entered Monday’s game against the Hawks nine points behind Hayes’ career total of 27,313.

He finished the night with 14 points overall — and 27,318 for his career — as Portland fell to Atlanta, 123-114.

“I think after it’s done, whenever it happens, I think I’ll be more in awe of it,” Anthony told ESPN by phone last week. “This is something I never, ever thought about. When you’re young you look up at that list and you’re like, ‘Damn, so-and-so has that many points? I’ll never be able to do that.’ I’m more just in awe of it.”

Moses Malone is next up on the all-time list at 27,409, a reachable number this season if Anthony maintains his current scoring pace.

Anthony’s journey to the top 10 comes with context, with him away from the NBA for a season after being cut by the Houston Rockets after just 10 games early in the 2018-19 season. Anthony continued working out and signed with the Trail Blazers in November 2019, starting all 58 games last season. He agreed to a bench role this season with Portland and entered Monday averaging 13.6 points as a sixth man.

A 10-time NBA All-Star, Anthony is in his 18th NBA season. He won the scoring title with the New York Knicks in 2012-13, averaging 28.7 points. Anthony spent 10 consecutive seasons in the top 10 in scoring and finished as a runner-up for the scoring title twice in that stretch.

Anthony’s point distribution is 13,970 in eight seasons with the Denver Nuggets, 10,186 in seven seasons with the Knicks, 1,261 in one season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, 134 with the Rockets and now 1,754 in two seasons with the Blazers.

This season, Anthony has moved past Tim Duncan, Dominique Wilkins, Oscar Robertson and Hakeem Olajuwon in scoring.

Carmelo Anthony Hits 30-Point Mark for First Time in Three Years

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthonyis celebrating a big game…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball player scored a season-high 32 points, including a key basket in crunch time to help the Portland Trail Blazers rally to beat the Detroit Pistons 107-104 on Sunday night.

It was the first time Anthony had scored more than 30 points since February 25, 2017, when he was with the New York Knicks. He made a jumper with Portland protecting a two-point lead with 21 seconds left.

Anthony remained focused on the playoff fight his Blazers are in, with Portland four back in the loss column of eighth-place Memphis.

“We don’t have a choice,” Anthony said. “We’ve got to go out there and do what we do to win games or put ourselves in position to win a basketball game. At the end of the day, it’s going to come down to us, too, and saying, ‘This is what we got to do.’ This is the last quarter of the season, and we in a dog fight trying to get that spot.”

Of the 27 points Portland scored in the fourth quarter, 21 came from Anthony and CJ McCollum, who worked well together down the stretch.

Carmelo Anthony Earns Player of the Week Honors for First Time in Five Years

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony is back in the game in a big way…

The 35-year-old half-Puerto Rican basketball star returned to the NBA only two weeks ago, but he’s already earning kudos for his strong play.

The league has named Anthony, a forward for the Portland Trail Blazers, its Western Conference Player of the Week. The Trail Blazers went 3-0, beating the Chicago Bullstwice, as well as the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anthony led those efforts, averaging 22.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

The last time Anthony was named a player of the week was March 10, 2014, while he was a member of the New York Knicks.

Anthony has now played six games for the Trail Blazers since signing with them last month. He’s averaging 17.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 30.7 minutes per game, while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.

Prior to inking the non-guaranteed contract with Portland, the 10-time All-Starhadn’t played since November 8, 2018, with the Houston Rockets.

Robin Lopez to Join Twin Brother Brook Lopez & the Milwaukee Bucks

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like it’ll be a family affairnext season for Robin Lopez…

The 31-year-old half-Cuban American professional basketball player has reportedly reached a deal with his twin brother Brook Lopez’s team, the Milwaukee Bucks, according to ESPN.

Lopez’s deal will put the siblings on the same team for the first time in the NBA.

Lopez, a 7-foot center, saw his playing time decrease in each of his three seasons with the Chicago Bulls, and he averaged just 21.7 minutes in 2018-19 as Chicago increasingly gave its younger players more of a run.

Though Bulls coach Jim Boylenpraised Lopez for his professionalism and willingness to help Chicago’s young core while sacrificing his own stats, the Bulls had a roster crunch with big men, as 2018 lottery pick Wendell Carter Jr., Lauri Markkanen and Cristiano Felicio previously had signed multi-year deals.

Lopez is entering his 12th NBA season, with previous stops with the Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and the New York Knicks. He holds career averages 9.1 points, 5.3 assists and 1.2 blocks while shooting 53.1% from the field.

New York Knicks Play Tribute Video for Carmelo Anthony’s Homecoming

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a bittersweet homecoming for Carmelo Anthony…

The 33-year-old Puerto Rican professional basketball player received a mostly warm welcome from New York Knicks fans Saturday night in his first game at Madison Square Garden since joining the Oklahoma City Thunder.

There were loud cheers for Anthony during his introduction, and some noticeable boos.

The Knicks played a tribute video for Anthony before his name was called during the traditional starting lineup introductions. The video showed some of the big shots and highlight games during Anthony’s 6½ seasons in New York and was met with a loud ovation from the Madison Square Garden crowd.

Anthony said he was surprised by the video and thanked the organization for the gesture.

“That was big-time, and for me that goes a long way,” Anthony said, who admitted the clip brought a mixed bag of emotions as it reminded him of the Knicks’ shortcomings during his tenure.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling for me — coming back here, knowing the goals that I had, what I wanted to accomplish here and falling short in that category,” he said.

Anthony, playing the second night of a back-to-back after logging 47 minutes against the Philadelphia 76ers, was held to 12 points on 5-of-18 shooting Saturday. He went scoreless in the second half, and the Knicks spoiled his return by topping the Thunder 111-96.

The 10-time NBA All-Star was booed throughout the game when he touched the ball and when he subbed out of the game near the end of regulation. He said afterward that he wasn’t surprised by the reaction.

“They can’t cheer for me. I’m on another team,” Anthony said. “They’re cheering for their team. They boo for the other team. That’s something that I expected.”

During Anthony’s tenure in New York, the Knicks advanced past the first round of the playoffs just once and failed to reach the postseason the past four seasons. Teammates have credited Anthony for how he handled the off-court drama of trade speculation and critiques — both direct and indirect — delivered by former Knicks president Phil Jackson throughout the 2016-17 season.

Anthony declined to say whether his return would have felt different if Jackson were still in New York, saying he has put his issues with Jackson behind him.

“I try not to think about that,” Anthony said.

Anthony was dealt to the Thunder in late September in exchange for Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott, ending months of drama with the Knicks that began when Jackson publicly stated his desire to trade the All-Star forward. With a list narrowed down to only a few teams, Anthony waived his no-trade clause to accept a deal to the Thunder.

After Saturday’s loss, he spoke about how he wanted to be remembered as a Knick.

“Somebody who wanted to be here, came here, did what he had to do night in and night out whether people liked it or not, remained positive through all the negative situations and all the negative times,” Anthony said. “Somebody who stayed professional throughout my seven years here and somebody who had hopes and dreams of winning the championship here in New York and fell short at that.

“So that’s something that I will always hold over my head as far as it comes to that. But I will always be kind of part of this culture here. For me it’s different than any other basketball player that comes through here, that played with the Knicks. It’s deeper than basketball when it comes to me and this city.”

The Knicks (16-13) have exceeded expectations in their first season without Anthony. They have relied on ball movement and a solid approach to team defense in the first two months of the season. New York entered Friday ranked 15th in defensive efficiency (up from 25th last season) and 11th in assist ratio (up from 23rd).

“I like what I see,” Anthony said of the Knicks’ potential going forward. “I like the potential they have. For me, to see those guys having fun again, knowing it wasn’t fun, to see them having fun bringing the energy and love back to the Garden. I’m happy for those guys when it comes to that.”

New York Knicks Agree to Trade Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder

Posted on September 24, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony is ready to take Oklahoma by (thunder)storm…

The New York Knicks have agreed to trade the 33-year-old half-Puerto Rican NBA star, a 10-time All-Star forward, to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to ESPN.

The Thunder will send center Enes Kanter, forward Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick (via the Chicago Bulls) to New York, league sources said.

Anthony, 33, will waive his no-trade clause and his $8.1 million trade kicker to accommodate the deal, league sources told ESPN.

A trade call is scheduled for Monday to finalize the deal with the league office, sources said. Anthony is planning to arrive on Monday afternoon in Oklahoma City to take a physical and be available to practice Tuesday at the opening of the Thunder’s training camp, according to league sources.

Anthony would only waive his no-trade clause for the Thunder, Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers, league sources said. His no-trade clause will go with him to Oklahoma City.

Anthony joins the league’s reigning MVP, Russell Westbrook, and All-Star forward Paul George on a reshaped and formidable Western Conference contender. Westbrook and George — who could become free agents in the summer of 2018 — played a significant role in recruiting Anthony to waive his no-trade clause for Oklahoma City, league sources said.

The Thunder made a huge commitment with the Anthony deal, incurring $27.8 million in luxury tax for the 2017-18 season. The Thunder payroll will rise to $134 million this season. Anthony has two years, $54 million left on his contract, including a player option for $27.9 million in 2018-19.

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