NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Drew Interest from European Teams Before Retirement

Carmelo Anthony could have continued his playing career if he wanted to join an overseas team.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein, the 10-time All-Star received interest this season from some top-level European clubs but "decided that he wasn't going to play anywhere unless the offer came from the NBA."

Anthony announced his retirement on Monday after playing 19 seasons in the NBA with six different teams.

After spending the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony remained a free agent throughout the summer and the entire 2022-23 campaign. He was a productive player in L.A., averaging 13.3 points per game on 37.5 three-point shooting in 69 appearances.

It was a fairly quiet offseason for Anthony, though Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe noted in September the Boston Celtics were interested in him after Danilo Gallinari tore his ACL playing for the Italian national team.

Speaking to ESPN's Malika Andrews at his son's high-school basketball game on Dec. 12, Anthony said he still loves the game but "there's a lot of things that's not in my control" and he's "at peace" with whatever happens.

Anthony previously spoke about his desire to play 20 seasons in the NBA. He ultimately fell one year short of that goal, but there's no shame based on what he accomplished over his long career.

The Brooklyn native ranks ninth in NBA history with 28,289 career points and is one of 15 players at least 10,000 field goals. He was named to the 75th anniversary team announced in 2021.

Prior to his arrival in the NBA, Anthony had one of the best single-season performances in college basketball. He led Syracuse to its only national title in 2002-03, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds in an 81-78 victory over Kansas in the championship game.

Anthony was drafted No. 3 overall by the Denver Nuggets in 2003. He spent eight seasons with the Nuggets before being traded to the New York Knicks in February 2011. He also had stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2017-18), Houston Rockets (2018-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019-21) and Lakers.