Newly retired ahead by Carmelo Anthony career closely linked to the Lakers ahead LeBron James.
The two were both selected in the iconic 2003 draft: James first in Cavaliers and Anthony third in Nuggets. They almost met in the 2009 NBA Finals, though both players’ teams lost in the conference finals. Their friendship is well documented, and they were teammates in Los Angeles during Anthony’s final season.
Appropriately, James praised Anthony when he announced his retirement from basketball Monday morning.
“Congratulations, my brother. Where do I start?” James said in a video tweeted by the Lakers on Monday afternoon. “I could sit here and talk for hours and hours and hours. I’m so proud of you, man, and so blessed to have been a part of your journey. You are one of the best players I have ever seen play. “
“You’re one of the best players I’ve ever seen.”
LeBron, AD, and Rui shared their congratulations @carmeloanthony. pic.twitter.com/vfiU46TkJ0
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) May 22, 2023
Los Angeles comes first Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura also shared farewell messages for the 10-time All-Star.
“You’ve really affected this sport more than you know. You’ve been helping me since 2012 when we were first on the Olympic team,” Davis said. “The game will miss you. I miss seeing you on the floor.”
Anthony is known as a strong performer in the international game, winning gold medals in Beijing in 2008, London in ’12 and Rio de Janeiro in ’16.
“Melo, you were my favorite player growing up,” Hachimura said. “When I started playing basketball, I watched you a lot, I used you 2k. I try to copy your moves and everything. Thanks for being an inspiration… happy retirement and good luck in your other ventures.”
