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Carmelo Anthony has no regrets on not winning an NBA championship

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated23 May 2023

Carmelo Anthony has no regrets on not winning an NBA championship

Carmelo Anthony announced his retirement from the NBA on Monday morning, and the 6-foot-7 forward made it clear that he doesn’t regret not winning a championship because he believes he already won at life.

“I’m at peace,” Anthony told Sports Illustrated after the announcement. “That doesn’t bother me no more; that idea that you’re a loser if you don’t win a championship.”

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Denver Nuggets remain the odds-on favorite to win the championship. Sportsbooks are giving the Miami Heat the next-best odds.

“For me, I’ve won. I won back in 2003, the night I shook David Stern’s hand on that [draft] stage,” Carmelo Anthony added. “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.”

Future Hall of Fame forward Carmelo Anthony says not winning an NBA championship no longer bothers him

Anthony played for six teams over the course of his 19-year career: Denver Nuggets (2003-11), New York Knicks (2011-17), Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2018-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019-21), and Los Angeles Lakers (2021-22).

In 1,260 career games, Melo averaged 22.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steal, and 34.5 minutes per game. The New York native shot 44.7% from the floor and 35.5% outside the arc as well. Anthony made starts in 1,120 contests. He finished ninth (28,289 points) on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.

Furthermore, Carmelo Anthony admitted that Kiyan, his 16-year-old son, is the only reason why he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2021-22 season. At the time, Anthony was contemplating retirement.

“I always told him, ‘When you get to high school, I’m retiring.’ That was always our thing,” Carmelo Anthony mentioned. “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 [James] 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.”

In addition to being named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2004, Anthony received two All-NBA Second-Team selections (2010, 2013) and four All-NBA Third-Team selections (2006, 2007, 2009, 2012).

Carmelo Anthony led the league in scoring with the Knicks in the 2012-13 season, averaging 28.7 points per game through 67 starts. In 2021, the future Hall of Famer was then named to the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.

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