LeBron James Sends Heartfelt Message to Carmelo Anthony After His Retirement

• LeBron James has sent a touching message to his longtime friend Carmelo Anthony
• After 19 seasons in the NBA, Anthony announced his retirement on Monday, May 22
• James and Anthony have been pals for over 20 years and joined the same draft class

Tributes have been pouring in for Carmelo Anthony after he announced his retirement from basketball. The 38-year-old played 19 seasons in the NBA.

LeBron James joined other NBA stars in celebrating Anthony, who is his close friend and former teammate.

James and Anthony have been friends for nearly 20 years. They formed a unique bond over the years, both on and off the court. The two veterans were the top two high school players in the early 2000s. They were drafted in the same year (2003), and both quickly became stars in the NBA, per NBC Sports.

Get to know about the top 15 best point guards in the NBA in 2022

NBA

According to the Athletic, James said the pair met in 2001, and since then, their friendship has grown stronger.

Although both are destined for the Hall of Fame in the future, they have had very different careers. James has won it all in the NBA, while Anthony has fallen short many times. He went to just one conference finals, in 2009, with the Denver Nuggets.

Despite retiring without winning the ultimate prize, he has had a splendid career. The 38-year-old made 10 All-Star appearances, received 6 All-NBA selections, and won three gold medals at the Olympics.

James' message to Anthony

Before the Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Nuggets, James and other Lakers players sent their tributes to Anthony.

“Congratulations, my brother. Where do I start? I could sit here and talk for hours and hours and hours. I’m just so proud of you, man, and so blessed that I was able to be a part of your journey. You’re one of the greatest players I’ve ever seen play,” James said in a video tweeted by the Lakers, per SI.

NBA players with dreads: Who has the best locks in the league right now?

NBA

Anthony will be remembered as one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. He is ninth on the NBA all-time scoring list with 28,289 career points.

He played for six different teams: the Nuggets (2003-2011), the Knicks (2011-2017), the Thunder (2017-2018), the Rockets (2018-2019), the Trail Blazers (2019-2021), and the Lakers (2021-2022).

James hints at NBA retirement

Sports Brtief earlier reported on LeBron James hinting at retirement after the Lakers were swept in the Western Conference finals.

He has played 20 years in the NBA and turns 39 in December, leaving fans with a cryptic message which raised many questions.

"I got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just personally, with me moving forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about."