In Carmelo Anthony's eyes, his best year in the NBA was his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers among his 22 seasons in the NBACarmelo Anthony (Image Credits: Imagn)
Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The recognition was a powerful chapter in his career. The night was more special as he received his Hall of Fame jacket and ring from his son, Kiyan.

To come to this recognition, Melo spent 22 seasons in the NBA. During this period, he played with several NBA teams. However, in his eyes, his best year in the NBA was his stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.

“My best year I ever had was with the Lakers…if you look at analytics, the Lakers year was one of my best years,” Anthony said.

Anthony was close to joining the Lakers in 2011, yet that ultimately failed. Later, he joined the Lakers ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season. He signed a one-year deal and became a reliable scorer behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists across 69 games.

Despite his solid production, the Lakers missed the playoffs that season. Anthony’s lone year in Los Angeles marked his final NBA season, as he officially announced his retirement in 2023.

Knicks Considering Retiring Carmelo Anthony’s Jersey

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Anthony (Image Credits: Imagn)
While Anthony’s Lakers stint remains special to him, his impact with the New York Knicks continues to spark conversation. NBA insider Ian Begley reported that there is “strong support” within Madison Square Garden to retire Melo’s No. 7 jersey.

“I know there was strong support internally within MSG to retire Anthony’s number. In checking around about this over the past couple of weeks, I can say that there remains strong support internally for retiring the number. Again, I can’t say with 100 percent certainty that the Knicks will retire his number. But the internal discussions about the topic have continued in recent weeks,” Begley reported.

For Melo, the Hall of Fame recognition already represents the highest honor a player can achieve. Yet, if the Knicks eventually retire his number, it would add another milestone in his career.