With Carmelo Anthony officially retiring from the NBA, Boardroom looks back on the future Hall of Famer’s key accomplishments, earnings, and off-court ventures that have set the stage for his second act.
Having not played since 2021-22, the inevitable came to fruition on Monday when future Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony officially announced his retirement from the NBA.
As Anthony said in a video posted on Twitter chock full of highlights from his storied career, “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. I remember the days when I had nothing just a ball on the court and a dream with something more, but basketball was my outlet. My purpose was strong. My communities, the cities I represented with pride, and the fans that supported me along the way.
“I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me, Carmelo Anthony,” the 10-time All-Star and three-time Olympic gold medalist said.
At his best, Carmelo Anthony was one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA. Many younger fans may look at the later stages of his career and see him bouncing from team to team, but let’s not forget how cold the future Naismith inductee was when he was cookin’.
The hype surrounding Anthony began in high school at Oak Hill Academy, most notably when he went up against good friend LeBron James’ St. Vincent-St. Mary in what may have been one of the most anticipated high school hoops matchups ever. The game attracted 11,000 spectators to Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, New Jersey, with Melo getting the bragging rights on this night with a 72-66 win over King James’ Fighting Irish. By the end of his senior season, Carmelo was named to just about every All-American list you can think of.
LeBron would go on to get his revenge against Oak Hill on a nationally televised game the following season, while Anthony took his talents to Syracuse for his college freshman campaign. There, as a first-year player, Carmelo was the leader of an Orange team that went on to win the national championship in the 2002-03 season — the only title in the program’s history to date. He did it all for Jim Boeheim, leading the squad in scoring, rebounding, minutes played, field goals made, and free throws made and attempted, and his efforts in the NCAA Tournament earned him Most Outstanding Player honors. A decade later, his No. 15 was retired by the Syracuse program.
Melo’s connection with LeBron would rekindle at the 2003 NBA Draft, highly regarded as one of the best classes in draft history. LeBron was a surefire No. 1 pick, but two selections later, the Nuggets got a babyfaced, cornrowed, redoubtably skilled franchise player, who spent the first seven-plus seasons in Denver. Similar to Bron, he didn’t waste time making a name for himself in the league, averaging 21 points per game as a rookie en route to All-Rookie first-team honors. By Year Four at the age of just 22, he was averaging 28.9 points per game — and not long after, after joining the New York Knicks following a trade to the Big Apple, he became the league’s scoring champion in 2012-13 with 28.7 per contest.
When he was hot, he was one of the most lethal scorers the league had to offer, evident by his place at No. 9 on the NBA’s all-time scoring list ahead of legends like Hakeem Olajuwon, Oscar Robertson, Charles Barkley, and Larry Bird. Upon his retirement, Melo’s all-around resume from prep to the pros to the international game is arguably as good as anyone’s outside of the true GOAT tier.
But of course, if we’re specifically talking about the Olympics, no men’s player has more gold medals, with only Kevin Durant on level pegging with Melo’s three.
- NCAA champion
- NBA All-Rookie first-team selection
- NBA scoring champion
- 10-time NBA All-Star
- Two-time All-NBA Second Team selection
- Four-time All-NBA Third Team selection
- Two-time USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
- Three-time Olympic gold medalist
No, he was never able to win that elusive NBA title that so many covet. But make no mistake, most athletes only dream of accomplishing half of what Melo did in his career. And along with his on-court legacy being historically secure, so are his pockets.
Throughout his 19-year career, Anthony earned $262.523 million in on-court salary alone. His biggest contract came when he re-signed with the New York Knicks after being traded there from Denver in 2011 — his five-year deal was worth roughly $124 million, good for a $24.81 average annual salary.
Carmelo Anthony’s Career NBA Earnings
- Denver Nuggets (8 seasons): $75,489,227
- New York Knicks (6 seasons): $125,631,432
- Oklahoma City Thunder (1 season): $26,243,760
- Atlanta Hawks (Never actually played for the team; a massive buyout following a trade covered 3 seasons): $25,534,253
- Houston Rockets (1 season): $1,338,954
- Chicago Bulls (Similar to Hawks, never played for Bulls after being waived following a trade from Houston): $1,338,954
- Portland Trail Blazers (2 seasons): $4,588,843
- Los Angeles Lakers (1 season): $2,641,691
- Career NBA salary earnings: $262,523,093
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Safe to say, Melo has done well for himself in the money department. And this doesn’t even take into account his off-court ventures.
According to Forbes, Anthony makes $6 million per year in endorsements. His most notable pact is with Air Jordan, as he became the first athlete other than Michael Jordan to be sponsored by the brand. At the age of 19, he signed a six-year deal with the Jumpman worth $3.5 million.
Some other companies that he endorses include Panini, Foot Locker, Isotonix, Powercoco, and Haute Time.
Additionally, Melo is a businessman who has incorporated his trademark No. 7 from his New York playing days into each company he owns.
- Melo7 Tech Partners (venture firm)
- Creative 7 (media production firm)
- STAYME7O (fashion label)
- The Seventh Estate (wine brand)
Not only does he own his own companies, but he’s also wisely invested in others that have netted him some cash as well. Some of those include:
- Overtime
- Genies
- The Ainsworth
- Mophie
While his playing days are now officially over, it’s clear Anthony has set himself, as well as his family, including his son, Kiyan, an up-and-coming high school prospect in the Class of 2025. As Melo said of Kiyan his retirement video, “My legacy now and forever lives on through you.”
If for nothing else, Carmelo Anthony provided basketball fans with one of the most iconic and memorable celebrations that is still imitated to this day — the three fingers to the dome following a made shot from downtown. But it’s clear that his impact on the game extends far beyond that.
Now, as Anthony ventures into retirement, he’s more than well-equipped to enjoy himself.
No matter where life takes him, however, you can always expect him to #STAYME7O.
