Making a triumphant NBA return after being out of the loop for two years isn’t easy.
A former Los Angeles Lakers forward is still in decent shape, but he's in no rush to re-enter the league.
“I don’t get the itch going to games, though,” Carmelo Anthony said on the "7PM in Brooklyn" podcast. “If I’m in the gym, training, I’ll get the itch. The process of getting ready for a professional game is so strenuous. If I was to come back, where are you gonna put me at? You ain’t gonna put me in the first ten of the rotation. I’m busy; I still work with my son, and I’m still active. I just don’t have to think about tapping into that realm of preparation.”
Anthony officially retired from the NBA in 2023. The Denver Nuggets selected the 10-time All-Star with the third overall pick in the 2003 draft. After an encouraging start to his career with the Nuggets, Anthony appeared to be the franchise's future.
Shockingly, Denver traded Anthony to the New York Knicks 55 games into the 2010-11 season. He notched over 10,000 points in a Knicks uniform but was on the move again in 2017. Three weeks before the beginning of the 2017-18 season, Anthony was shipped off to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-round pick.
From 2017-21, Anthony represented three franchises and participated in 232 games. As a free agent in 2021, Anthony decided to join Lebron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles. He wasn’t a dominant force for the Lakers in Year 19, but his lethal triple-threat scoring ability was functional.
Anthony was adamant about analyzing opponents’ footwork before executing his initial move. He torched defenders with rapid jab steps, believable shot fakes, and nifty hesitations from various spots on the floor. He may have been a defensive liability, but there's no question he was a 6-foot-7 offensive cheat code in his prime. He averaged 13.3 points on 44.1% shooting from the field for the Lakers during the 2021-22 season.
While Anthony will always cherish the game of basketball, it's safe to say he's prepared to embrace a new lifestyle at age 40.
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