ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:
NBA star Carmelo Anthony announced Monday that he's retiring in a video posted to Twitter.
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CARMELO ANTHONY: 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.
SHAPIRO: Over 19 seasons, Anthony made a name for himself with his grace, athleticism and bullying physical prowess, says The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov.
MIKE VORKUNOV: He had a great pull-up jumper that he could use from anywhere on the court. He could go into the post and the jab step was just kind of a signature Carmelo Anthony move, where he would keep the ball, keep a pivot foot and jab his other foot out to try to create space.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
He played for several teams over the course of his career, but Vorkunov says many fans will most fondly remember his days playing for the New York Knicks, where he led the team to its most successful season in decades. In a 2014 game, he even made a little history.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: Thirty-seven first-half points.
SHAPIRO: While playing for the Knicks, Anthony set a record for the most points ever scored at Madison Square Garden.
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UNIDENTIFIED SPORTSCASTER: That shot is good - Carmelo Anthony with the greatest-scoring game in Knicks history.
VORKUNOV: That one night really encapsulated the full Carmelo Anthony experience. He scored 62 points, but he had zero assists, right? Which could be emblematic of the style of play for him, which was much more individualistic than it was team-oriented, which was a criticism of his.
SUMMERS: Anthony never secured an NBA championship title, but he made up for that in Olympic wins. Anthony retires with three gold medals, more than any other men's basketball player.
(SOUNDBITE OF GHOSTFACE KILLAH SONG, "ALL THAT I GOT IS YOU") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
