Making a triumphant return to the NBA after being out of the game for two years is not easy.
A former Los Angeles Lakers forward is still in good shape, but he is in no emergency to re-enter the league.
“I don’t feel like going to games,” Anthony said on the “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast. “If I’m in the gym, working out, I feel like playing. The process of preparing for a professional game is so arduous. If I were to come back, where would you put me? You wouldn’t put me in the top 10 of the rotation. I’m busy; I’m still working with my son and I’m still active. I just don’t have to think about tapping into that area of preparation.”
Anthony officially retired from the NBA in 2023. The Denver Nuggets selected the 10-time All-Star with the third overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft. After an encouraging start to his career with the Nuggets, Anthony appeared to be the future of the franchise.
Surprisingly, Denver traded Anthony to the New York Knicks after 55 games in the 2010–11 season. He scored over 10,000 points in a Knicks uniform, but was traded again in 2017. Three weeks before the start of the 2017–18 season, Anthony was sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-round pick.
From 2017 to 2021, Anthony represented three franchises and appeared in 232 games. As a free agent in 2021, Anthony decided to join Lebron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles. He wasn’t a dominant force for the Lakers in his 19th year, but his ability to score deadly three-pointers was functional.
Anthony always analyzed his opponents’ footwork before executing his first move. He torched defenders with quick jabs, believable shot fakes and crafty hesitations from different spots on the court. He may have been a defensive liability, but there’s no doubt he was a 6-foot-1 offensive cheat code in his prime. He averaged 13.3 points on 44.1 percent shooting for the Lakers during the 2021-22 season.
While Anthony will always cherish the game of basketball, it’s safe to say he’s ready to embrace a new lifestyle at age 40.
More NBA: Lakers send LeBron James to Western Conference contender in blockbuster trade
