Carmelo Anthony retires from NBA after 19 seasons

May 22 (UPI) -- Carmelo Anthony's two-decade NBA journey came to an end Monday, with the 10-time All-Star announcing his retirement. Anthony, 38, entered the league alongside LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Anthony made the announcement in a video he posted to Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. The longtime New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets forward spent the 2021-22 campaign with the Los Angeles Lakers, but was not signed this season.

Anthony averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game over 1,260 appearances during his 19-year NBA tenure.

The No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft spent the first half of his career with the Nuggets. He joined the Knicks in a 2011 trade. Anthony was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2017. The Thunder traded Anthony to the Atlanta Hawks a year later. Anthony also spent time with the Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Portland Trail Blazers.

The former Syracuse star thanked his supporters from those cities as part of his video message.

"I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony," Anthony said. "But now 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."

The 2012-13 scoring champion and a six-time All-NBA selection ranks ninth in NBA history with 28,289 career points. He ranks third in Nuggets history with 13,970 points for the franchise.

His 22,643 field goal attempts rank 11th in NBA history.

"I'm excited about what the future holds for me," Anthony said. "When people ask what I believe my legacy is, it's not my feats on the court that come to mind, nor the awards or praise, because my story has always been more than basketball."

Anthony said his legacy resides in his son, Kiyan Anthony, a 2025 high school basketball prospect.

"My legacy, my son, it's in you," Anthony said. "I will forever continue through you. The time has come for you to carry this torch."

James, Draymond Green and Chris Paul were among the NBA stars who commented on Anthony's post.

"You're such a legend and beyond my brother," James wrote on his Instagram story. "Congratulations on a helluva ride."