Carmelo Anthony Has Profound Perspective On Never Winning A Title

Carmelo Anthony isn't sweating the fact he never won an NBA championship.

The talented NBA player officially retired Monday after nearly two decades in the NBA after being selected third overall in the 2003 NBA Draft.

Anthony was an incredible scorer during his career. He was absolutely unstoppable on the offensive side of the court and finished his time in the NBA as a ten-time All-Star.

The one thing he couldn't ever win was a ring, but he's not worried about it. As far as he's concerned, he was a winner the moment he was drafted.

Carmelo Anthony isn't worried about not winning a title.

"I’m at peace. That doesn’t bother me no more; that idea that you’re a loser if you don’t win a championship. For me, I’ve won. I won back in 2003, the night I shook David Stern’s hand on that stage. I made it out of Red Hook. I’ve won at life. The ring is the only thing I didn’t get. It would’ve been a great accomplishment, but I don’t regret it, because I feel like I did everything I could to get it," Anthony told Sports Illustrated following his retirement.

"I've won at life" is a hell of a statement, and he's 100% correct.

This is a great perspective from the retired NBA star.

This is a refreshingly honest take from a pro athlete, and he's definitely not wrong. Carmelo Anthony grew up in a very low income area of Brooklyn to start his life before moving to Baltimore, another city plagued by poverty.

He played one season at Syracuse and was then the third pick in the draft. By the time Anthony put a bow on his NBA career, he'd earned a staggering $262.5 million in just contract money.

There was also plenty of cash made off the court. While he didn't win a ring, he's for life if he's smart with his money, and that's an incredible win.

The retired NBA star was winning the moment he was financially set. Believe it or not, that's a lot more important to most people than winning a ring.

So, people can dog Carmelo Anthony all they want, but he made more than enough money to take care of his family and live a great life. If that's not winning, nothing is.

Written by
David Hookstead is a reporter for OutKick covering a variety of topics with a focus on football and culture. He also hosts of the podcast American Joyride that is accessible on Outkick where he interviews American heroes and outlines their unique stories. Before joining OutKick, Hookstead worked for the Daily Caller for seven years covering similar topics. Hookstead is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin.